


Seal of Dark Fate

by hersheygrace



Category: EXO (Band), GOT7, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Magic, F/M, Friendship, Mystery, Original Character(s), Romance, Sorcerers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-20
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2020-05-15 04:11:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 49,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19287850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hersheygrace/pseuds/hersheygrace
Summary: Min Haeyoon had no idea that a simple trip to the fortune-teller would lead her into meeting a mysterious boy and discovering that she was destined for something that will require her to choose between light and dark.And along the way, she will realize that the people she knew and the life she led so far were not what she thought them to be.There's only a thin line between good and bad





	1. Strange Black Mark

MIN HAEYOON SMILED at her reflection in the mirror as she smoothed her hands over her navy blue necktie and matching blazer. She had just finished preparing for school and being the cheerful girl she is, Haeyoon is looking forward another day of fun. Placing a loose strand of auburn hair behind her ears, she suddenly heard her mother calling her over for breakfast from downstairs.

“I’m coming!” she yelled back before grabbing her phone and slipping it into her backpack. When she opened her door, she saw her older brother coming out of his room as well, wearing the same navy blue blazer and trousers. The girl quietly giggled when she saw the boy yawned, eyes threatening to close anytime soon

 “Morning, Yoongi,” she smiled at the still sleepy boy before standing on her tiptoes and placing a peck on his pale cheek. Min Yoongi was never a morning a person but seeing his adorable little sister lightened up his mood.

“Morning, Haeyoonie,” he fondly ruffled her hair before placing an arm around her shoulders and proceeding downstairs.

The smell of bacon, pancake and sausage filled the entire kitchen, making Haeyoon excitedly run to her seat but not before greeting their parents with a peck on the cheek and a “Good Morning”.

 “Excited much, are we?” Yoongi commented with a chuckle as he mirrored his sister’s greeting before settling on his own seat beside Haeyoon.

 Their father laughed amusedly, saying that it’s all her favorite food afterall. But Yoongi retorted and claimed that everything edible is Haeyoon’s favorite.

 “Mom,” the girl turned to her mother with a slight pout. “Yoongi’s being mean.”

 “So is dad,” Yoongi smirked as he placed a stack of pancake on his plate.

 “Honey, don’t mind them, okay, they’re just teasing you?” Mrs. Min smiled sweetly at her daughter. “Eat your breakfast now so you won’t be late for your club meeting.”

 The family had a rather lively conversation about random things over breakfast and Haeyoon was very much happy and contented with what she has right now. She had a happy grateful smile on her face as she looked at her family, feeling that everything was perfect…

…Well, that was until she met him and her world changed for forever.

 

 

HAEYOON AND YOONGI were walking down the road towards their school. The siblings don’t mind travelling on foot since it was just a fifteen minutes walk and the weather’s nice, too. 

“Good morning, Mrs. Jeon,” the auburn headed girl stopped in a front of an old but neat looking house to greet their neighbor who was in the middle of watering the blooming flowers in her front yard. Her brother halted in his steps, too, before slipping both hands into his pockets and standing beside her to greet the woman also. Mrs. Jeon, who looked like in her late thirties, greeted back as she walked over to the waist-high white wooden fence surrounding her house and towards the pair.

 “Wow, the flowers really looked beautiful,” Haeyoon said in awe as she stared at the different varieties of flowers in different colors. She loved how they filled the air with a sweet and fresh scent.

“They are, aren’t they?” the woman said with a soft smile on her round kind face. “I see you left quite early for school.”

 “Yes, I have a club meeting,” Haeyoon chirped, as she lightly bounced on the ball of her heels. “And my brother has club duties, too.”

“My, how good students you are,” Mrs. Jeon gushed at the siblings and that’s when a beautiful melody floated in the air. It sounded like a piano and it was coming from the house. The tune was so pleasant to the ears, gentle and soothing like it was a lullaby for the soul, and Yoongi, being a music enthusiast that he is can’t help but ask who is playing the instrument.

 “It’s my son,” the woman answered quietly and for a fleeting moment, sadness flashed in her eyes but it was gone as soon as it came. “He loves playing the piano.”

 “Oh,” the brown haired boy had a lost look on his face. “I…didn’t know you have a son.”

 Only a few people were told that Mrs. Jeon, indeed, has a son. Most of them thought that she lives alone. And Haeyoon was one of those few although none of them actually saw the woman’s son in flesh. They’re not even sure how old the boy is or what he looked like because he never went out of the house but no matter how curious they are, they never asked out of respect for the kind-hearted woman because it seemed like she’s not comfortable with talking about her son.

 Sensing the sudden awkward atmosphere, the auburn-headed girl clapped her brother’s shoulder. “Of course, you wouldn’t know since you very seldom visit our neighbors.” Then she turned to the other with a bright smile, “Please, send my regards to your son, Mrs. Jeon. He’s really good at playing the piano.” Haeyoon grabbed her brother’s arm and started dragging him down the street. “Bye, Mrs. Jeon! See you later!”

 

  

“YOU SURE YOU can manage on your own?” Yoongi asked his sister with an unsure look on his handsome face. It was already dismissal time but he can’t go home yet because of basketball practice and letting Haeyoon go home without him doesn’t sit quite well with him. He can be a little too overprotective of his little sister.

“I can go home on my own, okay?” she gave him a reassuring smile. “And besides, I’m not really alone, I have my friends with me, see?” She gestured towards her two friends, Shinhye and Gaeun, who both smiled shyly at her brother. The two girls have a secret crush on the senior and Haeyoon was amused to see them act all coy around the boy.

“Maybe I could just---,” before he even managed to finish his sentence, his sister beat him to it.

“Nope, you’re not ditching practice because of me again,” Haeyoon shook her dainty head at her brother disapprovingly. She knew that the boy was only concerned to her but he was being a worrywart.  “I swear I can manage just fine.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll take good care of Haeyoon,” Shinhye said which Gaeun agreed to with a furious nod.

 Yoongi can only sigh in defeat seeing that there was no other choice when he suddenly remembered something, his eyes narrowing, “Where is that 4D best friend of yours, huh?”

“Oh, Taehyung?” she cocked her head cutely to the side. “He said he was—,”

 “Here! I’m here!” said a loud energetic voice. They all whipped their heads to see Kim Taehyung stopping beside Haeyoon before crouching, arms leaning on his knees as he panted. The boy looked like he ran just to get in the school sports gym.

“Okay, I think he’ll do for now,” the older boy muttered with a small nod. “Hey, Tae, you take care of these girls, okay? If something ever happens, I’ll kick the shit out of you, understood?”

 The orange-haired sophomore, finally regaining his composure back, stood up and looked at Yoongi.  “Roger!” He saluted with his signature rectangular grin.

“Beep me when you get back home, alright?” Yoongi told his sister before placing a kiss on her forehead. After Haeyoon promised that she will, they started walking home.

 

 

“YOU KNOW WHAT?” Taehyung said as he slung an arm around his best friend’s shoulders as they walk down the streets. “Sometimes, your brother really scares the hell out of me.”

 Haeyoon shook her head at him with a chuckle. “He’s been like that since we were young. You should have been used to it by now.”

 “She’s got a point,” Gaeun said a matter-of-factly, walking a few steps ahead of them beside Shinhye. “Especially if he’s gonna be your future-brother-in-law.” At this, the boy blushed profusely which made the three girls giggle. Haeyoon’s friends had the habit of pairing Taehyung to her but she always laugh it off knowing that they were just teasing but her best friend seemed to take it a bit seriously.

 The orange-head was about to retort when Shinhye suddenly squealed excitedly.

 “Oh my gosh! Madame Wisa is here in our town!” she pointed at a small purple tent standing beside the park’s entrance. The other three teenagers was confused as to who this madame was, there wasn’t even a tent there the last time.

 “Madame who?” Haeyoon asked as they followed the girl towards the tent.

 Shinhye stopped walking to turn at them and explain. “Madame Wisa! She’s a fortune-teller, like, the most amazing fortune-teller ever! I heard from my cousins that she’s travelling from town to town and she’s really accurate. And you know what’s even more awesome? She’s offering her service for free, well, unless you want to give donations.”

Taehyung scoffed at this, saying that fortune-tellers are just a waste of time and that they shouldn’t believe in such things.

“Oh, come on,” Haeyoon nudge the boy with a smile. “Don’t be such a party-pooper. Let’s give it a try, okay? It’s not like it’s gonna hurt or anything.”

 Seeing her hopeful encouraging smile, Taehyung don’t have a choice but to cave in. There’s no way that he can refuse his best friend.

 The lighting inside was dim, save for the small candles and glowing jars illuminating the four corners of the tent, but it was enough to let them see the two ladies inside. One was sitting behind a table covered by deep-blue silk with a clear crystal ball on top of it and the other was standing beside it. Very typical. Judging by the set-up, it was safe to assume that the girl standing was the apprentice or assistant. She was dressed in a frilly black dress that resembled that of a doll. While the one sitting---must be Madame Wisa---was wearing an elegant looking robe in the shade of deep violet. The fortune-teller looked like she was already in her mid-forties while the girl was like around the same age as them.

“Welcome to Madame Wisa’s lair,” the apprentice greeted them in a soft girly voice. “Who among you wants to know their future?”

 Shinhye eagerly raised her hand before sitting on the chair in front of the table. After she was done, Gaeun tried it, too. The two girls were obviously happy with what the fortune-teller said to them because it all pertained to their success in the future, career and lovelife wise.

 “Aren’t you going to try it?” Shinhye asked the other two as they stood side by side on the entryway. 

The boy said that he’ll just pass but Haeyoon thought about for a while before shrugging and walking over the seat. But before she could even settle herself on the chair, Madame Wisa gasped with widening eyes.

 “You…” she trailed off as her shocked eyes travelled from the crystal ball to Haeyoon’s. “You will be a part of something enormous…something like a war…and it will change your life for forever and all of those around you.”

Madame Wisa said it in a grave voice that made the hairs on the back of her neck stood on their tips. She froze for a moment before slowly sinking on the chair. Haeyoon wasn’t the type of person to believe easily on what other people say, especially to someone like a fortune-teller but there was something nagging inside her head and saying that she was somehow…telling a truth.

 “What do you mean?” the words were out of her mouth in a whisper before she knew it. There was a minute of tensed and heavy silence before the old lady looked at her crystal ball again and spoke at her.

“I can see light…and dark…evil…powerful darkness,” Madame Wisa’s voice shook with raw fear and it scared Haeyoon, too. “You must choose the right side,” The woman’s dark eyes stared directly at her caramel-brown ones before her pale cold wrinkly hands reached across the table to touch hers. “Or else it will cost your life.”

In any other circumstances, Haeyoon might’ve found all of these things very silly but something in the thick atmosphere told her that this was a serious matter. As much as she tried to convince herself that the fortune-teller was just saying nonsense things, she can’t deny the fast-beating of her heart. The way Madame Wisa said those things, it felt too real. However, before she could ask anything more, someone tugged her by the arm and started dragging her out of the tent. As they walk away, she could still hear the fortune-teller shouting frantically at her, yelling things like it will all start now, that she will meet the one who will draw her into the war and that she should be careful from now on.

 When the purple tent was already nowhere in sight, Taehyung stopped abruptly and held her firmly by the shoulders. Her two other friends were standing a few feet away with worried faces.

“Don’t tell me you believe in what that woman was saying?” the boy asked with a rather pissed expression on his handsome face. He can’t help but curse himself for letting himself get affected by what that fortune-teller told Haeyoon. Damn her and her acting skills.

 The girl didn’t answer him for a few moments and it seemed like she was lost in her own thoughts, a dazed look on her angelic face.

 “Look at me, Haeyoon,” he shook her slightly. “Everything she said was just a lie, okay? Heck, that old lady might be crazy for all we know.”

 “Taehyung’s right, Haeyoonie,” Shinhye chimed in from behind them. “Maybe, Madame Wisa was crooked after all. I shouldn’t have brought all of us there, I’m sorry.”

 Sensing her friends’ distress and worry, she decided to forget what the old lady told her. It won’t do anyone or anything good. “O-of course…I should’ve known better than to believe her.” She flashed a reassuring smile at her frowning best friend for a good measure. The boy had a tendency of being a worry-wart and protective over her just like her brother. “I’m fine now. I’m just surprised.”

 Taehyung visibly relaxed as he let go of her shoulders only to hold one of her small hands into his. He didn’t know what possessed him to hold her hand as they proceeded to walk home but he knew that the feel of her fingers intertwined with his and the warmth it emitted was calming him down. Glancing at the girl, he was thankful that she didn't seem to mind his actions.

 “It’s not your fault, Shinhye, so stop sulking,” Haeyoon tapped the shoulder of her still pouting friend with her free hand.

 “I didn’t know that Madame Wisa was so weird. How come she told you that while she told us good fortunes?” the girl whined as they neared the intersection. The sun was about to set now and many people were waiting beside the street for the traffic light to turn red.

 “Let’s just forget that any of this happened,” Gaeun suggested as they all stopped in front of the pedestrian and they all agreed at what she said.

 It was just a few seconds before they’re allowed to cross the street when a shrill scream tore through the air. It was immediately followed by the sound of cars screeching to a stop and someone shouting something about a thief. In the middle of the hasty commotion, Haeyoon saw someone lying on the pedestrian with blood slowly pooling beneath her. She suddenly felt that she knew the woman.

 “Oh my gosh!” someone from the crowd cried. “Call an ambulance! Someone had been run over by a car!”

 It seemed like the thief managed to push someone onto the street whilst trying to get away.

 “Mrs. Jeon,” she muttered, eyes widening in recognition, shock and fear, before rushing to the woman’s aid in pure instinct. She kneeled beside her form and that’s when the woman weakly opened her eyes. “Hang in there, Mrs. Jeon, the ambulance is on their way.”

 The woman slowly lifted a hand towards her and she held it with both hands but not before noticing a strange mark on the back of her palm.

**§**

 It was like a black tattoo, about the size of the thumb, and she briefly wondered why she never noticed it before. She held her hand tightly as she tried to keep her awake.

“Hae…yoon,” she croaked in a very weak voice and the girl had to lean closer to hear what she wanted to say. “My…my son…please…take care of him.”

 Her heart squeezed painfully when she heard the woman saying the words as if she’s really going to die. “Don’t say that, Mrs. Jeon. You’re going to make it, okay? Just stay with me and don’t sleep.”

“Promise me…please…I’m…begging y-you,” the woman pleaded as tears started rolling down her cheeks. “…Keep him…safe…from them…promise me…”

With her own tears streaming down her face, she nodded and promised the woman that she will take care of her son. Mrs. Jeon smiled at her answer and that‘s when she felt a warm sensation on her hands that seemed to be coming from the older woman’s hand. She lifted her other hand and saw the mark softly glowing in light blue color. She had to blink her eyes rapidly to make sure that it wasn’t just playing tricks on her and after a few seconds of gleaming under the sun, it gradually disappeared—like it was slowly erased or something.

 “Thank you…” was the woman’s last words before her eyes fluttered closed for…forever.

 

  

THE NEWS SPREAD quickly through their neighborhood and her parents—her mother being a good friend of Mrs. Jeon—decided to arrange everything for the poor woman seeing that there were no other relatives that could. Her son was still out of the question since no one had the chance to see him yet.

Haeyoon was in her room, laying in her bed and staring at the ceiling as she thought about the words that Mrs. Jeon told her. Something about she said was bugging her and keeping her restless. 

‘Keep him safe from who?’ she asked herself, brows furrowing. After a few minutes of debating with herself, she decided to check on Mrs. Jeon’s son and keep her promise. She grabbed her phone and jacket before going out of her room. The whole house was unusually quiet since her parents were out to take care of the woman’s funeral while Yoongi was still out with his friends and had no idea about what happened that late afternoon. 

 After locking their house behind her, she walked towards Mrs. Jeon’s house while pulling her jacket closer to her body as the chilly wind of the night blew past her. Halting in front of the old-styled house, she took a deep breath before walking towards the front porch. The only thing comforting her was that the house was well lit, as if telling her that there was really someone there. She was having a hard time convincing herself that there was another life in the seemingly empty and lonely house. She didn’t know what to expect to see inside and it’s making her heart pound a bit harder against her ribcage.

 “Hello?” Haeyoon called as she knocked three times on door. She tried to listen closely for any sign of life like shuffling, fumbling or anything but there was not a single sound and it worried her.

 Is there really someone here? Does Mrs. Jeon really have a son?

 A few minutes had passed before she twisted the knob and pushed the door open. Haeyoon looked around and found the interior really appealing to the eyes but it was…empty. She walked further inside and found herself climbing upstairs. The first room she saw was left open and upon seeing the feminine interior, she assumed that it was Mrs. Jeon’s. She quietly moved down to the next room whose door was shut close. The auburn-headed girl hesitated for a moment, hands hovering over the door knob. Inhaling a deep breath, she twisted it open and she was greeted by a figure sleeping on the bed in the middle of the room. Her lips parted a little as she walked carefully over the bed, still reeling from the fact that she was actually seeing Mrs. Jeon’s son that had been faceless in her mind for so many years. It was a boy, alright, and maybe around the same age as her or possibly even younger by a year or two. She silently kneeled down the side of the bed where she can clearly and freely study his features.

 The first thing that Haeyoon noticed was his strikingly innocent face. It felt like staring at an angel and everything about his face screamed innocence. She can’t even imagine the boy being hurt by anyone. His hair was a shade of reddish-black that seemed to shine as the overhead light reflect on it, soft fringe spilling gently over his forehead. The boy had an aristocratic nose which the girl was certain he got from his mother. He had long thick eyelashes that fan against his smooth cheek bones. Moving her eyes lower, her vision fell on his full pinkish lips that were slightly parted as he softly breathe in his sleep. Looking at him, she can’t help but be reminded of an innocent child that needed to be kept away from harm and anything that might hurt him.

 Is this the reason why Mrs. Jeon never let him out? Or is there a deeper explanation to it?

 The girl had no idea how long she had been staring when the boy slowly fluttered his eyes open. Haeyoon’s eyes widened as her breath hitched in her throat and she didn’t know if it was because of embarrassment for getting caught or it was because of his big black round innocent eyes that stared right back at her. She stupidly watched him from the floor, mouth gaping a bit, as the boy shifted to a sitting position and making the white blanket covering him slid down to his lap. He was wearing a baby blue sweater, sleeves extended long enough to cover his hands. Haeyoon noticed that it was quite big for him because his collarbones were able to peek through the neck.

“Who are you?” the boy asked as he tilted his head to the side.

The girl swallowed hard before answering, “I’m Min Haeyoon.”

 “Did you see my mother?” he asked again and that’s when she remembered the exact reason why she was there in the first place but how can she tell someone like him that his mother was already dead?

 “Uh, you see…Uhm…” she stuttered, tongue darting out to lick on her drying lips, as she racked her brain for the right words to say. “Your mother…she’s…she was involved in a car accident and...” Haeyoon took a deep breathe before exhaling heavily and saying, “She’s gone.”

She desperately prayed to the Heavens that the boy would be able to understand her indirect words and handle his mother’s death.

“Mother’s dead?" he boy said in a broken voice, making Haeyoon flinch inwardly. A few seconds had passed and his eyes started to get glassy.

“But…but she told me to take care of you and I promised her that I will,” she blurted in hopes of preventing him from crying. She thought that she would be forever guilty if she would make him cry. “And I’m here to take you home with me for a while. Is that okay with you?”

He sniffed and it was painfully obvious that he was stopping his tears from falling. The boy looked up at her for a moment, hesitation and a hint of fear written on his handsome face, before nodding slowly. He must've realized that he got no choice at that moment but to trust her and come with her. “Okay…” Then he held out a hand to her and that’s when something weird happened. The moment her hand touched his, current shoot through her whole limb making her pull away immediately.

“Ouch! Did you…felt that?” she asked him as she observed her hand, feeling a sudden heat concentrating on her wrist. She heard him replied with a breathy “Yes” but her attention was focused on her steadily heating up wrist. She let out a surprised gasp when she saw something forming on her skin and her eyes almost popped out of their sockets when an exact copy of Mrs. Jeon’s mark appeared on her wrist. “What the…” She trailed off when she saw the mark started glowing in light blue for a few moments before turning to a plain black looking tattoo once again. “Oh my freaking gosh…” Haeyoon shot the boy a questioning look but he just looked innocently back at her as he reached out for her hand again. He gently held it in his hands while caressing her wrist as if he’s trying to soothe it.

 “Does it still hurt?” he asked in that deep and somewhat raspy voice of his. His movements made one sleeve of his over-sized sweater slipped a little off his right shoulder, revealing a mark on his right chest, just an inch below his collar bones. It was identical to his mother’s mark and also to the one she had now.

 Haeyoon’s head was filled with so many questions but one stood out among the rest:

 

Who is this boy?

 


	2. Something Weird

>   _"There are three things that cannot be long hidden; the sun, the moon and the truth." -Buddha_

 

“OKAY, SO LET me just get this straight,” Yoongi said from his seat on the plush couch in their living room as he gave his parents a disbelieving look. “We’re gonna take that kid in?” He turned his piercing gaze towards the scared-looking young boy who was seated close next to his sister—too close for his liking. Yoongi’s eyes narrowed into slits when he noticed how the boy was almost burying his face on Haeyoon’s shoulder.

The auburn-headed girl shushed her brother with a disapproving look. “You’re scaring him, Yoongi.” She gave a sideway glance at the trembling boy beside her, her eyes softening out of sympathy. Ever since she brought Mrs. Jeon’s son to their house and introduced him to her family, the boy did nothing but to hide behind her like a kid hiding behind his mom on his first day of school. It seemed like it’s the first time he came out to the world. He wouldn’t even want to release his tight grip on the edge of her shirt. “It’ll be just for a while, until we found his other relatives. Let’s not make a big deal out of this.”

Yoongi heaved a heavy sigh, “Mom, dad, are you really okay with this? We barely know the guy.”

The two adults hadn’t uttered a single word since Haeyoon introduced the boy to them, letting their eldest son do all the interrogation. They’re both sporting a solemn and thoughtful look like they had just learned that the world will end tomorrow. A tense silence followed after the brown-haired boy’s question and it took a while before Mr. Min broke it and said, “It can’t be helped, son, we’re the only ones who can take care of him right now.”

Yoongi slumped on his seat as he thought about the situation before sighing in defeat. “Damn, right.” Upon arriving at the conclusion that they’re going to take the orphaned boy in, Haeyoon broke into a soft smile.

“Anyway, what’s his name?” Yoongi asked, throwing a look at the silent boy whose head was still ducked low, his fringe hiding part of his eyes.

“Oh, now that you’ve mentioned it,” she trailed off as she looked at the boy and asked softly, “What’s your name?”

When the boy heard Haeyoon directed a question at him, he lifted his head a bit higher and answered in a very low voice, “Jungkook.”

“How old are you, boy?” Yoongi asked but didn’t get an answer. However, when Haeyoon asked the same question he replied immediately. They learned that Jungkook was sixteen, a year younger than Haeyoon. When Yoongi asked another set of questions, they were never answered unless Haeyoon asked them herself.

Yoongi can’t help but raised an eyebrow. “So, he’s answering your questions only?” His sister giggled at him, saying that he’s probably scaring the kid that’s why he wasn’t answering his questions. He can only scoff in reply.

“Should we all call this a day?” their father suddenly piped in. “You, young people, should all rest now.”

“Haeyoon, dear, why don’t you show Jungkook to the guest room?” Mrs. Min said in her calm voice but her face was still sporting that troubled look.

“Okay, mom,” said Haeyoon as she stood up from her seat, Jungkook in tow, and kissed her parents goodnight.

“I’m coming with you,” Yoongi offered, still warily eyeing the tall young boy walking closely behind her sister as if he’s so scared of being separated from her. This boy is sure weird. 

Upon reaching the second floor, Haeyoon opened the door next to her room and walked inside. She turned to face the boy whose head was still hung low and said, “Jungkook, look at me,” she called softly at him, making the boy lift his head until Haeyoon could see his eyes wide with anxiousness. “You’ll be okay, trust me. We’ll take care of you and no one will hurt you here so don’t be scared anymore.” Jungkook continued to stare silently at her with his doe-like innocent eyes. “This will be your room and if you ever need anything, mine is just right next door, hmm?” She smiled at him in hopes of easing his fear.

“And my room is right next to Haeyoon’s,” her brother butt in, his words sounding a lot more like a warning than a statement. He shrugged when his younger sister shot him a look. “What?”

Haeyoon rolled her eyes at him before turning to Jungkook again. “Sleep tight, okay? I’ll see you tomorrow.” She was about to leave when she felt a tug on her sleeve. She was taken aback when she saw Jungkook looking at her with eyes wider and more alert in fear. Before she could even ask what’s wrong, Jungkook spoke with a rather shaky voice.

“P-please don’t leave…” he muttered, desperation written all over his innocent face. Something tugged at the girl’s heart and was about to say something when her brother beat her to it.

“Nuh-uh,” Yoongi walked over them and held his sister by the elbow. “Nothing’s gonna eat you here, so calm down and sleep.” He pulled Haeyoon against his side and away from Jungkook. “Or do you want me to put you to sleep?”

“Yoongi!” Haeyoon gasped, whacking her brother’s arm. “Just let me handle this, so, shoo!” Yoongi didn’t even have time to blink when he was pushed out of the room by his sister. He stared dumbstruck at the closed door, unable to believe that his own sister kicked him out.

Haeyoon sighed when her eyes landed on Jungkook who was standing in the middle of the room with a lost-sad-puppy look on his face, making him look a lot younger than he really is. She walked towards him before tugging him by the hand towards the bed. “Jungkook, I’m just right beside your room, no need to be afraid,” she tried convincing him as she made him lie on the bed. She can perfectly understand where his fear of being alone was coming from; being left by someone important to you does that to people. Not to mention the fact that this was probably the first time he was seeing so many new faces in his whole life. Though reluctantly, the boy settled under the sheets, letting Haeyoon tuck him in. “I promise you, you’ll be safe in here. I’ll take care of you.”

The boy gazed at her with wide hopeful eyes that seek for an assurance. “Promise?”

Haeyoon broke into a warm comforting smile, “Promise.”

 

IT WAS ONE-THIRTY in the morning when Haeyoon woke up with parched throat. Tossing her comforter to the side, she slipped out of her bed and headed downstairs to fetch a glass of water. The moment she reached the foot of the stairs, she was surprised to see light flooding from the kitchen. She was almost at the threshold when a pair of arms grabbed her from behind. Panic and fear coursed through her body but she wasn’t able to scream when she heard the person spoke.

“It’s me,” Yoongi whispered against her ears as they were both tucked closely to the wall beside the kitchen, well-hidden in the shadows.

She whirled around and glared at him for almost giving her a heart-attack.  “Are you crazy?! What was that for?” she hissed, demanding for an explanation. The boy just shushed her and made her listen to the conversation from the kitchen.

“It’s already happening, Jaeyoon,” their mother spoke in a hushed manner but with the deafening silence surrounding them, her voice was clearly heard. “Our fear is definitely happening!”

“It was bound to happen sooner or later,” their father answered in a grave voice. “We can’t hide the truth forever.”

Haeyoon turned to her brother with wide curious eyes. “What are they talking about?” she whispered to her brother.

“I don’t know, but all I know is that they started acting weird when they saw that Jungkook boy. I knew right then there was something wrong,” Yoongi replied in his deep quiet voice.

“I can’t believe it all happened this way,” the woman spoke in a cracked voice. “It’s too early, we’re not prepared. They’re not prepared. This isn’t supposed to happen this early. How come we haven’t sensed it at all? It was right under our noses!”

There was a pause and Haeyoon found herself feeling so confused and scared. She unconsciously gripped her brother’s arms that were protectively wrapped around her.

“There are things you can’t prevent from happening,” their father said cryptically. “There are things that can’t be kept away from each other for long. It’s how fate works.”

“Then how are we going to tell them everything?” their mother demanded almost hysterically, voice rising a bit above whisper. “The truth will surely put them to harm.” Then they heard a sob. “I can’t believe we failed in our tasks, we failed the whole Lucere.”

At the mention of the last word, the siblings exchanged confused and questioning glances. Just what in the world are their parents talking about?

“No, Look at me, Haemin, there’s still a chance” the man said. “We just have to find The Guardians and they will be safe.”

“We have to find them soon. It’s just a matter of time before the tainted ones come looking for them.” their mother replied after she had collected herself.

“But I don’t know where to start looking,” their father said again, voice laced with frustration. “We’ve been searching for almost two decades but we still can’t find them.”

“We need help. We need to talk to the Oraculum, they might know how to find The Guardians. I know it’s risky and dangerous to go back but it’s the only way I know to keep them safe.”

There were so many questions formed in both the siblings’ minds but they can’t find the right words to voice them out. It was like their parents were talking about things that were totally out of their world.

“You’re right, it’s the best thing we could do in this situation,” their father concluded. “We need to go back as soon as possible.”

“Should we tell them already?” their mother asked.

“No,” the man quickly turned the idea down. “We can’t tell them yet, not even Yoongi. Not until we found The Guardians.”

Sensing that the conversation was almost over Yoongi stealthily dragged his sister back to their own respective rooms.

“Pretend that we didn’t hear anything when in front of mom and dad, okay?” he instructed his sister who asked why they would have to do that. “I have a feeling that they won’t tell us anything yet even if we ask them. It will just complicate things so let’s just keep quiet for the mean time, okay?”

“Okay, but, Yoongi,” Haeyoon looked up at her brother with uncertainty. “I’m…I don’t know…I’m scared.”

Even though the boy was kind of shaken himself with what they had just heard from their parents, he needed to show his sister that she can depend on him. With a reassuring smile on his face, he pulled her into a protective embrace. “Don’t worry; I’m always here to protect you, princess.” Then he planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Always and forever.”

 

THE WARM RAYS of sunlight peeking through the gaps in her curtain was enough to rouse Haeyoon from her sleep thirty minutes before her alarm clock go off. She stayed lying on her side for a few moments, mind drifting to last night’s event, before deciding that she must prepare for school. Her brows furrowed when she realized that she can’t move and that her back actually felt toasty. Why does her back felt warm when her cheeks were cold? Looking down, her eyes went wide when she saw a blue sweater-clad arm draped tightly around her waist. Quickly twisting around from under the arm, she was greeted by a peacefully sleeping angelic face of Jeon Jungkook. She was frozen, mouth slightly parted in surprise. How did he get in her room and more specifically on her bed? Did he somehow move in here sometime in the morning? She was shocked but she can’t find it in her heart to get mad at the boy. And just like last night, she found herself staring at his childlike features until his eyes fluttered open.

“Goodmorning,” the boy muttered softly, eyes blinking languidly, as if waking up next to each other was the most natural thing in the world. Haeyoon snapped back to reality making her shot out of the bed.

“W-what are you doing here?” she asked, flustered. “How’d you get in here? Yoongi will kill you if he knew you slept here.”

Jungkook slowly shifted into a sitting position, his right fist rubbing against his eyes sleepily and Haeyoon can’t help but think how cute he was. “I’m sorry,” he sadly said. “I was scared and I can’t sleep and whenever something like that happens, Mother lets me sleep beside her. I just thought that…you wouldn’t mind…I’m sorry.”

Seeing his apologetic guilty face melted Haeyoon’s heart so she approached him and patted his head. “It’s…It’s…okay with me but I don’t think Yoongi and my parents would be happy to see you sleeping in my room.”

“Why?” he asked as he tilted his head cutely to the side.

“Uhm, because a boy and a girl shouldn’t sleep in the same room together, you know,” she said as if it is common sense to know something like that.

“But why?” the boy innocently asked again.

She lifted a hand against her temple, racking her brains for a proper explanation to his inquiry. Is this boy for real? Is he really that innocent? “Because something might happen between them, something that should only happen after marriage.”

“What might happen?” he asked again, eyes wide with childlike curiosity and innocence. 

Taking a deep breath, Haeyoon decided to go for the kill. “They might have sex.” She bit her lip, blushing at her own boldness but at least it’ll put an end to his questions. The girl waited for a reaction but Jungkook just blinked at her.

“Why?” he furrowed his thick eyebrows. “I’m confused. Because according to the dictionary, sex is a noun and it means the state of being male or female…so why?”

She almost fell face first on the ground at his statement. “Are you for real?” she can’t help but blurt. Then she realized that he must’ve lived a very sheltered life under her mother’s care, thus, making him as innocent as possible to the worldly things. “You know what, never mind, let’s just go downstairs before Yoongi decides to check up on us.” She tried to change the topic, not wanting to corrupt the boy’s innocence anymore and not wanting to go discussing sex early in the morning.

She peeked out the hallway and when she saw that they were clear, she dragged him down the dining area.

“Goodmorning,” she greeted her mom who was cooking in the kitchen and her dad who was reading a newspaper while having his coffee. They both greeted her back like they would always do, like nothing happened last night and Haeyoon found it weird. And if ever they noticed her and Jungkook coming down at the same time, they didn’t point it out.

Mrs. Min started setting up the table all the while asking Jungkook if he was comfortable in his new room and whatnot. All the boy did were little occasional nods and shakes of his head as an answer and Haeyoon realized that he only talked in full sentences when it was with her. It seemed like he was still afraid of other people aside from her.

“So, Jungkook-ah, I’m bringing you with me today so that we can fix the matters that would help you enter highschool,” her mother said as she started placing the dishes on the table.

“But mom, is it really, okay? I mean…” Haeyoon trailed off because she knows that her mother knows what she was talking about. Jungkook had never left their house when her mother was still alive and throwing him in high school so suddenly might not be a good idea.

“It will be alright, Jungkook was being homeschooled before by his own mother who was a former teacher and if he passes the necessary tests, he can handle high school just fine,” her mother explained.

Her gaze travelled to Jungkook and she was surprised to see him staring at her as if seeking for an approval or reassurance. After a moment of contemplating, she broke into a smile and said, “It’s okay. You should go with mom.” It seemed like the boy really trusts her words because he agreed when she told him to.

Not long after, Yoongi went down and joined them for breakfast. It was a seemingly normal morning for the family, with the addition of the silent Jungkook, complete with random topics and all. But the siblings would exchange secret glances from time to time with the knowledge that something was definitely up with their parents and they were sure that it was anything but normal.

 

“MOM AND DAD were acting so normal it felt weird,” Haeyoon said to her brother as they were getting their things from their lockers.

“You said it,” Yoongi replied as he slammed his locker door shut. “We need to know what they were talking about last night.”

The girl was about to open her mouth and reply when someone tackled her form behind, trapping her into a bone-crushing hug.

“Goodmorning, babydoll!” a squeaky voice said merrily and she recognized it as Park Jimin, one of her and Yoongi’s childhood friends. He gave her a peck on the cheek before releasing her from the hug. Before she could even turn around, her books where lifted away from her arms.

“Hi,” her orange-haired best friend greeted her with his signature rectangular smile brightening up his handsome face.

“’Morning, Haeyoonie,” Jung Hoseok smiled dotingly at her as he pinched both of her rosy cheeks.

“Goodmorning, guys,” she smiled back at them.

“You look so cute today with your pink headband,” Kim Seokjin cooed at her which made her giggle and say that he loves everything that is pink.

“Come here, princess,” Kim Namjoon pulled her possessively against his side by the waist before turning to her brother. “I’m walking her to her room today, Yoongi.”

The boy scoffed at the tall blonde. “As if you’ll actually listen if I say no so why bother telling me?” Namjoon only smirked as a reply. “Why don’t you, guys, get a sister of your own and stop stealing mine?” Yoongi said to the five males as he crossed his arms petulantly. Haeyoon can only chuckle at her brother’s behavior.

“Uhm, because we want Haeyoonie specifically?” Jimin said half-jokingly and half-teasingly.

“And I’m sure that this guy here,” Hoseok piped in as he slung an arm around Taehyung, “doesn’t want Haeyoon to be just his sister.” His statement made the poor boy blush up to his ears, making everyone in their group erupt in laughter except Yoongi who looked like he wasn’t pleased.

“Oh really?” Yoongi said in a warning tone. “Let’s see about that.”

There was a chorus of ‘Oooohh’s before the warning bell echoed through the hallway. They split up with Taehyung, Namjoon and Haeyoon going the same way and opposite from the others.

Upon reaching their room Namjoon bid her farewell with a peck on her forehead. “Laters, baby,” he smiled, his cute dimples appearing on his cheeks, before sprinting down the hallway.

When they entered their room, they were surprised when their homeroom teacher was nowhere to be seen. She glanced back at Taehyung who only shrugged with a have-no-idea look.

“Where, Ms. Song?” she asked Shinhye as she settled down on her seat.

“I’ve heard that there’ll be a new student so I’m guessing that she’s at the office to take care of the matter,” the girl replied.

After a few minutes, Ms. Song entered their classroom and sure enough, they’re going to have a new classmate.

“Okay, students I would like you to welcome your new classmate,” she said with a smile before turning towards the door and motioning for the person to get inside.

There was a collective gasp from the female students as soon as the new student stepped inside the room. Then the gasps immediately turned into murmurs of excitement because of the new male student. Haeyoon can’t blame her classmates for reacting that way because the boy had strikingly handsome features. Although he wasn’t that tall, he still had an aura around him that demands attention. He’s got an angelic baby face and a pair of wide bright pretty eyes that were complemented by his thick dark eyebrows which matched the color of his short black hair. His kind brown eyes scanned the room and when they met with Haeyoon’s caramel-brown ones, his heart-shaped lips slightly parted while his eyes widened a fraction. Having noticed this, Haeyoon’s eyebrows furrowed before she looked away. There was something in the new student that made her feel weird.

“Please introduce yourself,” the teacher kindly asked the boy.

“I’m Do Kyungsoo, please take care of me,” he finished his self introduction with a ninety-degree bow.

 


	3. Imprinted Secrets

RIGHT AFTER THE classes ended, the siblings went straight home to find their house empty which was pretty much a normal thing around those times. Their father, who is a renowned lawyer, usually gets home after eight. While their mother, who is a university professor, always gets home after six and seeing as she still have to run some errands for Jungkook’s high school admission, they expected her to be home later than usual with the boy.

Already changed into more comfortable clothes, Haeyoon went up to her brother’s room to ask for help on her English assignment. Although Yoongi was quite for known for his lethargic ways, the boy is still a ‘smexy’ or smart-and-sexy brained as he would like to put it. “Yoongi?” she called when she saw the boy lounging on his bed while fiddling with his phone.

“Yeah?” he looked up from his bed, hair messy and eyes sleepy.

She flopped down beside him on his bed with books on hand. “Can you help me with English, please?” The boy chuckled at his sister’s cuteness before shifting into a sitting position and opening one of her books.

After a few minutes of studying the questions, he turned at Haeyoon with furrowed eyebrows, “Okay, I know I’m smart and all but I’m not that kick-ass when it comes to English compared to Namjoon so…I think we’ll be needing a little help from Mr. Webster.” He smiled sheepishly at the girl, making her giggle.

“Alright, I get it,” she said laughingly as she got up from the bed. “I think there’s a dictionary in dad’s study.” She headed downstairs and opened the dark wooden door next to the stairwell. It was never locked since it also functions as the family’s mini library. The girl walked up to the book shelf and scanned for the dictionary which she found almost immediately. She was about to leave the room when something shiny on their father’s study table caught her eyes. She turned and saw piles of folder neatly stacked on the mahogany table but what got her curious was the black book partly hidden by some flyers. Peering closer, she saw that the shiny thing she saw were actually tiny different colored gems glinting under the sunlight from the glass window. The gems were attached to the corner of the book and when she shoved the flyers aside, she realized that the whole surface of the five-inch thick book was adorned with jewels to perfection. The book was strange and obviously very old but still in a good condition. Her mouth parted in awe when her eyes landed to the embossed emblem on the middle of the book, surrounded by the seemingly precious stones. It was shaped like an ‘L’ with other swirly intricate designs twirling around it and the girl wasn’t so sure how to explain it but she knows that it was really beautiful and it was definitely made out of pure gold. It was like a crest that one usually see in some old fairytale books, like a crest that represents a family, group or kingdom.

“Wow…” was all she managed to say before her hands, as if having a mind of their own, carefully flipped the cover of the old book open. The first page, which shows a map, was already yellowish on the edges and running a finger over it, the girl knew that it wasn’t just a normal piece of paper. The second and third pages also had a map drawn across it with words and labels that Haeyoon was not familiar with but one word caught her attention. “Lucere,” she breathed as she remembered the word being mentioned by her parents last night. Flipping through the pages, she realized that she can understand the words written on the next pages and when she saw something written about The Guardians and more about Lucere, she rushed upstairs to her brother.

“Yoongi, check this out,” she uttered breathlessly as she cautiously placed the heavy book on the bed before sitting down beside the brown-haired boy. “I saw this on dad’s study table and I guess this could answer our questions.”

“No shit,” he said incredulously before turning his full attention towards the old book. They sat there in total silence as they read the book together. They can’t bring themselves to believe on what was being revealed to them. “Is this book for real? Sorcerers? Kingdom of Lucere? Fuck this shit…” Yoongi grumbled in disbelief but still continued reading while Haeyoon silently tried to absorb the bizarre information. However, they were interrupted when they heard their mother’s voice from downstairs. Another string of profanities left the boy’s mouth as they were both frozen staring at each other, the black book between them. “I’ll distract mom while you return the book,” Yoongi said in panic as they both shot up from the bed and darted downstairs.

Luckily, their mother was busy putting some groceries in the kitchen making it easy for Haeyoon to slip the book back in the study room. She hoped that her father won’t hide it anywhere because they’re not yet done reading. When she went out of the room, she saw Yoongi coming out of the kitchen and heading towards the living room where Jungkook was quietly sitting.

“Hi, mom!” she greeted enthusiastically as she bounced towards the kitchen. “What’s for dinner?” Her mother said something like pasta but her mind was actually drifting towards the book again.

“Jungkook will start next week,” her mother informed her with a smile and upon the mention of the boy’s name, she immediately paid attention.

“Start what?” she asked.

“Going to high school,” the woman replied. “I didn’t know that that kid was a genius. He aced all the tests and his IQ was above normal.”

“Really?” asked Haeyoon skeptically because their encounter that morning sure proved otherwise but then she realized that he did know the dictionary meaning of sex—like literally. “Good for him, I guess.”

“But I would like you to keep an eye on him, dear,” her mother faced her with a sudden serious expression. “Watch over him and guide him.”

Though quite weirded-out by her mother’s request, Haeyoon didn’t show it and just shrugged instead. “Sure, no problem.”

THAT NIGHT, HAEYOON can’t fall asleep. She kept tossing and turning in her bed but it looked like sand man won’t do his job anytime soon. She glanced at her alarm clock and it read fifteen to ten. Her mind was so clouded with many thoughts swimming in her mind such as the black book; their parents’ odd acts lately, and of course, her new classmate—Do Kyungsoo. She really found the new transfer strange and she can’t help but admit that she was quite crept out by his constant stares at her. It was like he wanted to say something but always ended up gazing at her with that unreadable expression on his face. It’s bad enough that he was placed next to her by the teacher because it became so awkward but what’s worse is that she could feel his intense stare like he’s trying to bore holes through her skull. There came a point that she asked him if he needed anything or wanted to say something but he just blushed and shook his head. But Haeyoon have to give it to him though, he was really cute but really weird, too.

A series of patterned knock on her door pulled her out of her stupor. She knew it was Yoongi so she said, “Come in.”

“Hey,” her brother flopped down on her bed, already on his pj’s, a white v-neck shirt and blue cotton pants. “Can’t sleep, too, huh?”

She rested her back against the headboard while clutching a pillow to her chest. “With all the things happening, it’s quite hard.” There was a minute of silence before Yoongi spoke again.

“So, Lucere is a kingdom,” he mused but Haeyoon can still hear doubt in his tone. “And it is a place for…sorcerers.”

She turned to see him staring hard at his lap, like he was in deep thought. “And don’t forget The Guardians who were created to protect the kingdom.” Haeyoon backtracked to the things they read from the book, they weren’t even half way through it when they had to stop and so far, all that they know is that Lucere was a magical kingdom. “It reminds me of Harry Potter.”

“Do you think it’s true? That there is such a place and—I mean, come on, magic? Who believes in freaking magic?” the boy rambled, running a hand through his already messy hair.

“I do,” Haeyoon said softly. “Yoongi, I think I saw it first hand.” Her brother turned to look incredulously at her but she continued. “When Mrs. Jeon died...in my arms…I saw the mark on her hand glow in bright blue before disappearing into thin air.”

“No…freaking way.”

“I know what I saw,” she insisted, turning her whole body so that she’s faced to her brother now. “Then when I touched her son’s hand for the first time…the same mark appeared on my wrist.” She extended her wrist to her brother, palm facing up, to show the black mark. Yoongi gasp as he held his sister’s hand and peered closely at her wrist. “It just appeared there, glowed in blue for a while then became black…like magic.”

“What the hell—why didn’t you tell me earlier?!” the boy looked at her with wide worried eyes.

“I kind of forgot, besides, it all happened just yesterday,” she replied, gently pulling her hand back. “By the way, Jungkook also had a mark like this.”

“What?!” Yoongi exclaimed. “How?!”

“I don’t have any idea, too. But I’m pretty sure that he had it for a long time now.” she shrugged, leaning back at the headboard.

“Should we ask him?” he suddenly said. “Maybe he knows something.”

“I think you’re right,” with that said, they both went towards the next room. The door was left ajar and Haeyoon assumed that he’s still not that comfortable with his new surroundings. “Hey, Jungkook,” she gently called so as not to surprise him. He was sitting on top of his bed with his knees drawn up against his chest, curling like a lost little child. But when he heard her soft voice, he perked up and his face broke out into a happy relieved expression.

She walked into the room with her brother before sitting on the edge of Jungkook’s bed. “How are you feeling?”

“I was…scared but not anymore,” then he met her in the eye before his handsome face broke out into the first smile Heayoon ever saw on him, clearly letting her know that her presence was enough to make him feel safe.

Her brother cleared his throat as he stood in front of the bed before bringing up the question. “So, Jungkook, do you know anything about this mark?” he questioned before grasping his sister’s wrist and showing the mark to the younger boy. “You have one like this, too, right?”

It took a while but Jungkook recognized it. “Mother had one like that, too.”

“I know but did she ever mention something about this?” he asked again and when the boy slowly shook his head he let Haeyoon’s wrist go. He ‘tsk-ed’ before grabbing the chair on the study stable and straddling it. “You sure?”

Jungkook became silent for a while, as if trying to think of or recall something. “I think…mother did mention something about it being a seal when I asked before but I’m not so sure.”

“Seal?” the siblings said in unison. “Seal for what?” it was Yoongi who asked the question.

“That’s…that’s all I know,” he said with a contrite face.

“It’s okay, what you told us is more than enough,” she patted Jungkook’s head before turning to Yoongi. “I think we should really ask mom and dad about this.”

Her brother snorted at the idea. “As if they would tell us; you heard them last night, they have no intention of letting us in on whatever it is that’s going on until who knows when.”

“Then what do you say we do, Sherlock?” Haeyoon asked with a cocked eyebrow.

“Finish the book,” he replied. “I have a feeling that we can find something in there if not the exact answers.”

“You make it sound so easy,” Haeyoon shot the brown-haired boy a look. “You know we can’t get the book unless they’re not here and we’re lucky enough if dad didn’t hide it yet.”

“That’s why we’ll do it tomorrow,” Yoongi persisted. “It’s weekend and they’ll both come home later that usual. We’re gonna have to find it if it’s hidden and Jungkook here can help do the searching while we’re gone since you have to help in aunt’s café while I have basketball practice.”

Haeyoon searched Jungkook’s face who only sweetly smiled at her, “I think I could help you with that.”

“Good,” Yoongi nodded in approval and his sister gave him a funny look. “What?” he demanded with arms crossed across his chest.

“I see you’re already approving of him,” she chuckled when her brother turned away, nose high in the air.

“Don’t put words in my mouth, princess,” he huffed but Haeyoon knew him too well to know that he’s slowly warming up to the other boy.

“Whatever you say, dear brother,” she muttered dismissively before standing up and eyeing the empty glass of milk on Jungkook’s bedside table. “I’ll bring this down for you, hmm?” she turned to Jungkook before patting him yet again on the head which the boy seemed to love very much. Then she glanced at her brother and said, “I’ll go ahead and you can continue having boy-to-boy talk with him.”

Yoongi abruptly stood up with a snort. “Like I would,” he muttered before walking past his sister and accidently bumping on her arm which caused her to drop the glass. They were all startled as it landed on the hard wooden floor and crashed into tiny shards. “Shit, I’m so sorry, princess!”

“It’s okay,” she said as she bent down to start picking up the broken pieces which she realized belatedly was a very stupid move.

“Wait, you’ll gonna—,” Yoongi tried to stop her but it was too late.

“Ouch!”

“—hurt youself.” The boy approached his sister and gently pulled her up to check on her wound. Her index and middle finger on her left hand was cut pretty deep but it was nothing serious. “It’s a pretty big cut but nothing a bandage strip couldn’t solve.”

Haeyoon bit her lip as she winced at her stinging wound. She turned to Jungkook to warn him not to go down the bed until they clean the mess but she was surprised to see him cradling one of his hands with a pained expression. “Are you okay?” she asked as she moved away from Yoongi and approached the boy on the bed.

“What happened?” Yoongi asked as he stood beside them. The siblings were both stunned to see Jungkook sporting the exact same wound as Haeyoon. The middle and index finger on his left hand was bleeding equally as the girl’s fingers. No matter how they think about it, it was obviously no coincidence because it was an identical wound and it happened at the very same time and there were no shards or any sharp objects near the boy where he can possibly get the cut. He was just sitting there, not moving at all so the only explanation they can come up with was that he got it when Haeyoon got it. “Holy shit! How the fuck did that happen?”

Haeyoon and Jungkook were both speechless as they stared at their wounds then at each other’s surprised faces. First the black mark and now this? What in the world is happening?

“Does this mean that—Yoongi, pinch me!” she suddenly blurted but her brother complied notheless and as expected, Jungkook felt it, too. When she asked Yoongi to pinch Jungkook, she felt it as well. “Oh my, gosh…that was weird.”

“Weird?” Yoongi exclaimed so loud it was a wonder their parents didn’t come knocking on the door to ask what’s wrong. “That was more than freaking weird!”

“ARE YOU SURE you’re okay, sweetie?” Haeyoon’s aunt asked her for the umpteenth time. “You’re spacing out since this morning, you can stake some rest if you want.”

The girl tried to force a smile to reassure her aunt that there was nothing to worry about. “I’m really fine, aunty, just thinking about some new recipe that we could add on the menu.” She hated lying but she can’t possibly tell the old woman that she was actually thinking about a certain boy they left in their house and how they both got the same mark and that they could actually feel what the others could feel.

“Alright,” the woman sighed. “But you have to tell me when your wound starts hurting, okay? I can’t let you strain yourself, you helped me more than enough.” Her aunt smiled warmly at her and gave her a squeeze before disappearing in the kitchen and leaving her to attend on the counter.

Haeyoon sighed heavily as she tried to clear her mind for a while, nothing of the things happening make sense but looking at the brighter side of the events, she could make sure that Jungkook is fine even if they’re away from each other because if he’s hurt in anyway, she would definitely feel it. Looking around the cozy shop and smelling the wonderful aroma of the coffee and pastries was slowly relaxing her stressed mind. The café owned by her aunt on mother’s side was peaceful and quiet although there are a few couples, group of teenagers and some university students lounging inside. And that’s how Haeyoon wanted to spend her every Saturday. She started volunteering on the café at the age of ten when she discovered that she had a knack for baking. It’s really a win-win situation for her because aside from being able to do what she loves, she was also able to help her widow aunt. After a few minutes more of calm and peacefulness the bell on the door chimed, signaling the arrival of a new customer…or customers.

“Ooh, the other group of hot stuffs is here,” Minah, her co-worker, grinned at her as she passed by the counter with a tray and two empty cups of coffee. “I really like it when you’re on duty, Haeyoonie, cute boys keep on coming.” The girl’s short black hair bobbed as she giggled. “I already missed you’re brother’s group,” she added with a wink before disappearing inside the kitchen, leaving Haeyoon chuckling to herself at her friend’s silliness.

“Sweetcake!” a loud overly excited voice shattered the tranquil ambiance of the whole café. But as Haeyoon could see, the other customers weren’t bothered much by the new comers, if anything, some of the girls, especially the teenagers, started squealing quietly among themselves with their dreamy eyes following the group’s every move. “Oppa missed you so much!” The loud boy ran up to the counter before leaning over and squishing her cheeks. “You’ve gotten so much cuter since we last visited here.”

“Don’t hog her, Jackson,” a boy with silver hair said as he pushed Jackson out of the way. “Hi, A,” he greeted Haeyoon with a wink that made the other girls in the room swoon.

The auburn-headed girl rolled her eyes. “My name’s Haeyoon, Jaebum,” she reminded him but it went on deaf ears when he insisted on calling her “A” which is a short term for “Angel” according to him.

“Won’t you smile for me, princess?” a voice said from her side and she turned her head to see another black haired boy grinning widely at her.

“You do know that the counter is for authorized personnel only, right?” she said with raised brow before eyeing his arm that was now draped possessively around her shoulder.

“I know and I know for sure that aunty won’t mind Prince Jinyoung being here,” he said and as if on cue, her aunt came out of the kitchen with a pleasant smile.

“My, my, I knew you were here, you, boys, always make quite a grand entrance,” the woman chuckled before adding, “It’s been a while seen I’ve seen Haeyoon’s knights in my café, be sure to enjoy, alright?” The group buzzed in agreement before the woman went back inside.

“I told you,” Jinyoung murmured in Haeyoon’s ears before planting a quick kiss on her cheek causing her roll her eyes once more.

“Oh no, what happened to your hand?!” another raven-haired boy with a patch of yellow on the fringe invaded the counter and her personal space as he fussed over her injured hand. “Did it hurt a lot, Haeyoonie? Do you want me to kiss the pain away?”

“Nice try, Bambam but as far as medical study is concern, morphine can reduce pain and not a kiss,” a tall boy stood beside JB with a smirk on his face.

“You’re such a cockblocker, Yugyeom,” another boy butt in as he slung an arm around the latter’s shoulder.

“Language, Choi Youngjae,” Haeyoon said as she gave him a warning glance.

The boy sheepishly bit his lip as he muttered, “Sorry, princess” to her. While the other boys continued fussing over her hand especially Bambam, Jackson and Jinyoung, a red-haired boy caught her attention. He was just standing silently behind JB but when he caught her looking at him, he showed her a warm smile that he rarely do in front of other people. Haeyoon smiled in return and waved her right uninjured-hand a little and that’s when the boy’s smile faltered. His lips parted a little and his eyes widened ever so slightly in a surprised manner. He suddenly walked around the counter, tore the other boys away from Haeyoon before grabbing her right hand and turning it up.

“Where’d you get this?” he asked breathlessly as if he can’t believe what he’s seeing on her wrist. The other boys suddenly stopped making noises, faces mirroring the red-head’s reaction upon the sight of the unusual mark.

Haeyoon found herself unable to reply. How could she say that it just magically appeared on her wrist when she held hand with Jungkook? Would they believe her? The girl don’t think so, that’s why instead of answering his query, she found herself asking him back. “W-why’d you ask, Mark?”

“Just answer me, damn it!” the boy raised his voice, grip tightening around her wrist and making her flinch. Never once did Mark get angry at her, he was always the cool and calm one, always gentle and careful around her and his outburst quite scared the poor girl.

“Mark,” JB said in an authoritative voice, silently commanding the other boy to release his grip and as soon as Mark let go, Haeyoon was pulled into JB’s arms protectively. Before she could register what’s really happening, the silver-haired boy gently passed her to Jinyoung’s waiting arms before walking out of the café with Mark in tow.

Haeyoon was left with questions on why did Mark and the others react that way. It was like they recognized the black mark at that moment but when she asked them if they know something about it they all frantically shook their heads in strong denial saying that it's the first time they saw something like that and they were quite surprised. But Haeyoon was not that naive to not notice that Jinyoung and the others were dodging her questions and trying to divert her attention by changing the topic. She found them acting strange but she decided to let it slide for the meantime.

“THIS IS SERIOUSLY the best, Yoonie,” Bambam said with mouthful of chocolate cake that she baked.

“Thanks, Bammie,” she chuckled as she wiped the dark icing smeared on his lips with a table napkin. Due to the boys’ persistent demand, she was given a longer than usual break by her aunt who gladly complied with the request.

“I don’t know what I would do with my life if Bambam wasn’t able to discover this café and bring us here,” Jackson said after swallowing a spoonful of strawberry cheesecake; trust the boy to exaggerate things. “I don’t know what I would do with my life if I wasn’t able to meet my baby sweetcake Haeyoon and fall inlove!” Haeyoon just had to roll her eyes at that.

It was because of the café that they met each other. All seven of them went to a middle school not too far away from the café and one day, Bambam was exploring the neighborhood when he accidentally discovered the place. Being the foodie that he was he immediately tried the cakes on display and immediately fell in love. That time, he demanded to see the baker and was pleasantly surprised to see a very pretty girl wearing a cute pink apron. From then on, he frequently visited the café together with his other friends who quickly took a liking at Haeyoon, thus, making them all friends. Having known each other for more than four years is enough to bring them close like siblings.

“Say, ahh, my princess,” Jinyoung cooed at her while he held his fork with mocha cake in front of her lips. However, instead of Haeyoon, Yugyeom was the one who took the bite.

“Haeyoon loves strawberry, don’t you know?” the boy smugly said as he pushed his plate of strawberry cake towards the girl.

“Woah, Mr. I-don’t-want-to-share-what’s-mine was actually giving away his slice of favorite cake? Wow, just wow, you really are something, babygirl,” Youngjae said dramatically complete with slow clapping which made Haeyoon laugh and Yugyeom blush.

Haeyoon then remembered something which made her smile turn upside down as she found herself anxiously glancing out the glass wall. Ever since Mark’s outburst, he and JB are still not coming back. She wondered what happened with Mark and why did he react that way. Sure, the other boys were also surprised and shared the same horrified look when they saw the mark but they seemed to get over it rather quickly and began acting normal and cheerful around her again.

“Jinyoung,” she nudged the boy beside her. “Can you check up on Mark and JB?”

“Why? You worried, princess?” the boy asked jokingly but when she looked at him with a pair of cute worried eyes, he suddenly gushed at her. “Oh my gosh! You adorable little bunny! Why do you have to be so cute?!” He engulfed her in a bear hug while rocking her back and forth.

“Guys, you’re back!” Bambam exclaimed which made them all turn towards the direction of Mark and JB. Haeyoon looked at the two guys but Mark was avoiding her eyes while JB was giving her a smile that say’s she doesn’t have to worry.

“Hi, angel,” JB said as he slid in between her and Yugyeom which earned a lot of protest from the latter. “Where is my favorite cake?”

“Uh, yeah, here,” she passed him a slice of black forest which he accepted with a cute boyish smile. “Is…is Mark okay?” she can’t help but ask as she snuck a glance at the red-head who sat at the farthest side of the table. “Is he mad at me?”

“Of course not,” the silver-haired boy softened when he saw the worried look on Haeyoon’s face. He placed a comforting arm around her before kissing her on the temple. “You’ll see, before the day ends, he will come to you. There’s no way he could last a day without talking to you,” the boy whispered and what he said eased her a bit.

“GOOD THING YOUR brother and his friends aren’t going to pick you up today,” Jackson grinned at Haeyoon as he walked backwards which earned him a few warnings from JB and Jinyoung that what he’s doing was actually dangerous. They were walking Haeyoon to her house since her brother was still in basketball practice.

“I still don’t get why you guys don’t get along,” Haeyoon said to all of them. “It’s like there’s always a competition going on between your group and theirs.”

“There is a competition, sweetheart,” Youngjae pointed out, placing an arm around her shoulders. “Our schools are rivals, remember?”

“But I’m friends with all of you,” she insisted, trying prove her point. “So why can’t you be friends with them, too?”

The boys looked at her with amused smiles on their faces. She really is too innocent for her own good. The competition they were talking about was not just about the school, they were competing in more ways than one but Haeyoon won’t realize it because she’s pure like that.

“It’s a guy thing, princess,” Jinyoung said as he pinched her cute button nose. “Like how wolves claim territory, you know?”

Haeyoon snorted in an unlady-like way which made them chuckle. “Guy thing my ass.”

“Woah, sweetcake is being sassy, me likey,” Jackson wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at her which earned him a smack from both JB and Yugyeom.

“We’re here!” Bambam announced when they halt in front of a modern-looking two storey house with white pristine walls and elegant black roof. All of them, with the exception of Mark, gave her either a hug or kiss on the forehead or cheek as they bid her goodbye and Haeyoon can’t help but wonder how they were so much alike with Yoongi and his friends. Haeyoon was sure that the boys would get along just fine if they only give it a chance.

“Thanks for walking me home,” she smiled brightly at them before waving goodbye. She watched them walk away but was surprised when Mark stayed behind.

“Hey,” Mark started rather awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his neck and refused meeting her in the eye. “I just wanted to apologize for earlier.”

A gentle smile made its way on Haeyoon’s lips when she saw the boy looking so embarrassed and guilty. She knew that Mark wasn’t one to apologize, and seeing him put effort just to make up with her made her forgive him easily. “It’s okay, I forgive you.”

Mark snapped his head to look at her with a surprised look. He knew that Haeyoon was a very kind-hearted girl but he didn’t expect her to forgive him so easily. “Just like that?”

The girl giggled at his reaction and said, “What? Want me to make you walk on your knees around the city just so I forgive you or do you want me to make you do one hundred flips in the air instead?”

Mark broke out into a carefree grin and shook his head. “Thanks but no thanks; I’ll take your first offer.” He walked towards her and pulled her into a warm embrace. Feeling her warm soft body against him made him realize that getting into sort of a fight or misunderstanding with her, even for just a few hours, was unbearable and made him so upset. “Remind me to not get into a fight with you again,” he sighed as he buried his face into her strawberry and honeysuckle scented hair.

Haeyoon giggled as she patted his back comfortingly. “But, really, why’d you get mad so suddenly?” she asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

Mark pulled away enough to see her pretty face before shaking his head at her. “I’m sorry for reacting that way but don’t worry, okay?” He pulled her into his arms again. “We’ll protect you…I’ll protect you no matter what happens.”


	4. Laboratory and The Student Council President

“YOONGI, I TRUST that you could take care of yourself, your sister and Jungkook while we're gone,” Mr. Min said to his son as he loaded the last suitcase in the car’s trunk. It was a Sunday afternoon and the couple was off to a three-week vacation out of town which Yoongi found very odd. Why would they take a vacation in the middle of the year? The boy was itching to ask questions regarding the conversation that he and Haeyoon overheard the other night but decided against it. His gut is telling him that their parents are keeping a terrible secret from them and that it somehow greatly concerns him and his sister.

“Yes, dad, you can trust me on that,” he replied though his mind was still reeling from all the events happening around them.

Mrs. Min soon came out of the house with Haeyoon and Jungkook in tow. “Yoongi, please refrain from staying out unless necessary,” she said before turning to the two younger people. “You, too, Haeyoon and Jungkook, since you’ll start going to school this coming Monday, unless it was school-related, please keep yourselves from going out. It’s not safe, not with all the attacks and…the things currently happening around us.” She paused with a very worried look on her face. They all know that she was talking about the recent murders happening around the city and the fact that most of the targets are high-schoolers made the matter worse. “Please, tell me you’ll be safe, I really hate to leave you all but…” the woman trailed off when her husband placed a hand on her shoulder.

“They’ll be safe, have some faith in them. Yoongi can handle this,” he comforted his wife as he exchanged looks with his son.

“Yeah, mom, don’t worry and just enjoy your vacation, we’ll be fine and we’ll call everyday,” Haeyoon beamed as she hugged her mother.

“I love you, princess,” her mother whispered, eyes brimming with tears.

“Aww, I love you, too, mom, but it’s just a three-week vacation…right?” she said but even she knows that deep down, it’s not just going to be a simple vacation. She doesn’t know why but her mind is telling her something big is going to happen. Maybe it was the hushed conversation of her parents, maybe the black book, maybe Jungkook and the mark or maybe even her friends’ strange acts but all she knows is that she wants answers.

“Yes, of course and we’ll be home before you know it,” with that said they bid each other goodbye before her parents drove off and disappeared from their sights.

 

THE THREE OF them were eating dinner that night with a rather glum expression on their faces. There was no other noise except for the variety show blaring out from the television. There were a few more minutes of silent dinner when the oldest of the group snapped.

“We’ve searched every nook and cranny in our house but nothing!” Yoongi sulked over his dinner that was generously cooked by his cute sister.

“Maybe they’ve brought it with them,” Jungkook tried reasoning out and Haeyoon was relieved to see that the boy was slowly opening up to others besides her. She thought that he needed to get used to other people if he’s going to high-school.

“I think he’s right, Yoongi,” she uttered after a swallowing a spoonful of rice. “If they really don’t want us knowing something, they’d be careful enough not to leave any source of information.”

The brown-haired boy pursed his lips, face looking paler than usual. “Do you think they’re going to that Lucere place or something?” he mused then an idea suddenly hit him like a brick. “Fuck!” he blurted which earned him a nasty glare from his sister and saying that it’s not nice to curse in front of food. “I’m sorry I just thought of something, anyway, think about this…if that book was actually real then Lucere will be real and if that’s the case…then is mom and dad some kind of sorcerers?”

There was a dead silence where you can drop a push pin and actually hear it. Yoongi looked at the two other people on the dining table, waiting for some kind of reaction.

“Uh, I don’t think so,” Haeyoon shook her head.

“It’s a possibility, right?” Yoongi argued.

“But that would make us sorcerers, too, which we know we're not,” she retorted, waving her fork in the air for added emphasis.

Understanding his sister’s point, Yoongi rested his case as he continued finishing his dinner. “I can’t believe we’re going to have to wait for them to tell us what’s actually going on. I don’t like being kept in the dark.”

“No one does…” Haeyoon sighed when she thought about the reactions her friends made back at the café when they saw the mark. It’s like they know something but won’t tell her anything, just like their parents. She’s beginning to get desperate for answers.

 

“ALL YOU HAVE to do is to press this button to be able to call us, okay?” Haeyoon instructed Jungkook as they were getting ready to leave for school. Her parents bought him a phone before they left and she’s teaching him how to use it. “Just make a call if something happens.”

Yoongi was already at the doorway way when he said, “My number is in speed dial as well as Haeyoon.” 

Haeyoon unconsciously smiled upon seeing her brother being concerned for Jungkook as well but she won’t dare comment about it, because knowing her brother, he might probably deny it. Yoongi wasn’t really a showy and warm person but when it comes to his little sister, he becomes all sweet and overprotective. The guy has a soft spot for the girl. “You’ll be okay here, right?” she asked Jungkook as she placed a comforting hand on top of his.

The boy looked up at her with an angelic sweet smile that seemed to be especially reserved for the girl. “I can manage; I…don’t want to be too much of a burden,” he murmured shyly before turning his hand so that he could lace his fingers through Haeyoon’s. The girl softened as she saw the look on his face. She knows that he’s still struggling to get over his mother’s death and that he’s still sad and hurting. Haeyoon kinda felt guilty for the boy because he didn’t even get to properly mourn over his mother’s death with all the things happening with her family. Her parents apologized for not having a proper funeral for Mrs. Jeon because of their hectic schedule but Jungkook said that it was fine and he was thankful because they gave her proper burial.

“Don’t ever think that you’re a burden,” she gave his hand a squeeze. “You’re part of the family now and family protects, love and care for one another.” Jungkook repeated the word family as he gripped her hand tighter and from then on, he bowed to protect Haeyoon with all of his heart.

 

THE BELL FOR lunch break rang throughout the hallways and the students happily rose from their seats while some stayed and chatted with their friends.

“They are already waiting at the usual spot,” Taehyung informed her, slinging his back pack over his shoulders. “Jin texted me.”

“Just a sec,” Haeyoon mumbled as she desperately searched her bag for her chemistry notebook and when she found it gone she looked up at the orange-haired boy and said, “Maybe you could go ahead, I think I left my chem. notebook back at the science lab.” They had chemistry as their second to the last subject before lunch and she needed to retrieve before she could even forget. “Tell them I have to go search for it first, I’ll be quick.”

“Want me to come and help?” her bestfriend offered which she declined knowing that he’d been complaining that he was hungry since the start of their English class. Before the boy could even say anything more, she already dashed out of the room.

On the way to the west wing of their building where the science lab was located, she bumped into their handsome senior student council president, Kim Joonmyeon. The boy is easily one of the heartthrobs in their school who had a fair share of fangirls drooling over him. They see each other outside of school because Yoongi, Taehyung and the others occasionally play soccer with him and his friends. And being one supportive sister and best friend, she was always there to watch them play.

“Hey, Haeyoon, long time no see,” Joonmyeon offered her a high-five which she returned but as soon as their hands touched, current shot through her hand making her recoil immediately. “Oh, we have a spark,” the boy joked as he clenched his fist.

“Uh, I guess,” she let out a small laugh but she was thinking how this was so similar with what happened with Jungkook.

“Anyway, where are you going?” Joonmyeon asked with his charming smile. “You seemed in a hurry.”

She let out a gasp when she remembered why she was in a rush. “I forgot my notebook in the science lab.”

Joonmyeon chuckled at the girl’s cuteness before he said, “I’m on my way there, too, to get some files for Ms. Bae. I’ll help you search for it.”

They reached the lab in no time and in her haste, Haeyoon forgot that the doorknob accidentally broke earlier in the morning and that it shouldn’t be closed or else it will be impossible to open it from the inside. It was too late when she remembered it because when she turned around, Joonmyeon already pushed the door closed.

She groaned and said, “We’re locked.” The boy gave her a puzzled look and after she explained what happened earlier that morning, he sported the same worried look but remained calm.

“You have a phone with you?” he asked. “’Coz I’ve left mine in my bag.”

Haeyoon was about to say yes when she remembered that Gaeun borrowed it earlier because she left hers back at their house. She squeezed her eyes shut while pressing her good fingers against her temple. “My classmate borrowed it.”

The boy heaved a deep breath. “Someone does know that you went here, right?” Upon receiving a positive answer from the girl, Joonmyeon continued, “The best we could do now is to wait for people to notice our absence and decide to find us.”

“Right,” Haeyoon agreed, finding his suggestion logical enough since there’s no other way they could open the door and seeing as it is a thick metal door, shouting for help is also not an option. “Let’s just find the things we're here for.”

After a few minutes of searching, they both got what they’re looking for. “It’s almost thirty minutes and still no one’s searching for us,” Haeyoon sighed worriedly as she perched herself on one of the high-stools.

“I’m sure Yoongi will search for his beloved sister even before lunch time ends, trust me,” Joonmyeon winked at her as he sat across her. “Oh let’s also not forget the alien and the other knights, I bet they’re getting worried now that you haven’t showed for lunch yet,” he joked, trying to lift Haeyoon’s mood. He even called Taehyung alien like how he remembered Hoseok does sometimes just to make her smile.

Haeyoon started smiling which made the boy smile, too. “Yeah, you’re rig—,” she was cut off when a medium-sized black spider jumped in front of her on the table making her yelp and lean back in utter surprise, knocking the chemical-containing beakers and test tubes on the table with her elbow. The liquids quickly crawled down the length of the table until it spilled on the edge, near the wall and dripped on the electrical plugs and outlet. It sparked at once and ignited flame that caught the white drapes in no time.

“Shit!” Joonmyeon cursed before jumping down the chair and pulling the shocked girl to his side protectively. It all happened too fast and before any of them could react, the fire started spreading to the other curtains and through the room. The other flammable chemicals started exploding because of the sudden rise in temperature, making the fire faster, angrier and larger, flames licking the walls and the roof. The president shrugged his blazer off, soaked it under the faucet and covered it on top of Haeyoon’s head. Every minute that passed made it harder for the both of them to breathe as the smoke became thicker and the temperature went higher.

“F-fire extinguisher!” Haeyoon said in between labored coughs and pointed at the other side of the room where the small red tank hangs on the wall. However, the tables and chairs lit with raging fire made it hard to cross the room. Haeyoon’s lungs were slowly giving up because of too much chemical-filled smoke and Joonmyeon was getting worried as hell. He held her tighter against him, arms wrapped around her in a protective shield. The boy was sweating profusely and his breath was already coming out in staccato but he refused to give up, not when Haeyoon was still in his arms.

“Fuck,” he cursed under his breath and even though the fire is going on for only two minutes now, the room was already in too much fire and Joonmyeon wondered desperately how longer it will take for someone to notice that the lab was on fire.

Suddenly, Joonmyeon’s whole left fore arm glowed so bright under the sleeve of his white shirt, surprising both him and Haeyoon. Somehow, he managed to roll the sleeve up to his elbow and saw his arm glowing even brighter. It was a gleaming light blue and Haeyoon immediately recognized it, making her thought for a moment that the same mark as hers would appear on his skin but she was proved wrong. The glowing gradually subsided until it concentrated on the middle of his fore arm, just three inches below his hand, before a mark revealed itself. It looked like a drop of water or something with other shapes drawn inside of it and for a moment, it shined in light blue until it became black like a tattoo.

Haeyoon’s eyes widened in awe as she looked up at Joonmyeon who had a daze look on his face. She shifted under his arms to look closely at his face only to find his eyes glazed and blank. He seems totally out of it and it alarmed the girl. “Joonmyeon! Joonmyeon!” she called while giving his shoulder a shake. “What’s wrong, Joonmyeon?!” She started panicking when the boy didn’t respond and continued standing there like a statue despite the fire around them. After a few terrible heart-dropping seconds, Joonmyeon took a long and deep drag of air as if he just came out of the water, eyes blinking rapidly as he looked around him in a disoriented manner. “Joonmyeon…” Haeyoon called and her voice seemed to bring the boy back on the situation at hand. She didn’t have the time to react when he released her and pulled her behind him. Haeyoon was confused and scared, thinking that they might die in there and she was on the verge of her tears when something incredible and magical happened.

“Oh my god…” she gasped, her mouth falling open at the sight in front of her. She would’ve been dreaming but the heat of the room burning her skin was enough reminder that she was awake and that seeing their student council president control and create water with his bear hands was not a hallucination. “Oh my god…” she repeated breathlessly as Joonmyeon put out the fire while the mark or symbol or whatever in his arm was glowing beautifully, heck, the boy himself seemed to glow as he gracefully maneuver the water, making it obey his every command.

When the fire was completely out and the room thoroughly drenched in water, Joonmyeon rushed to her side and pulled her into an embrace. “Thank you, thank you for bringing my memories back,” the boy thanked her, confusing her to no end before pulling back to stare at her face. “I’ll be forever in debted to you, Min Haeyoon.”

“Er…you’re welcome?” she said rather unsurely. “But would you mind explaining how did I bring your memories back and how did you lose it and how were you able to control water like…like…like magic?!” she rumbled which made the boy chuckled.

“I guess I owe you an explanation then,” he replied. “But first, we should get out of here.”

Then as if on cue, the metal door swung open, revealing the bewildered and worried faces of the school’s guard, Ms. Bae and Haeyoon’s friends. The teacher immediately bombarded them with questions which were all answered by the president while Haeyoon was fussed over by Yoongi and the other five boys.

 

“DON’T YOU EVER do this again, Min Haeyoon,” Yoongi said sternly as he paced in front of her sister’s clinic bed. Haeyoon and Joonmyeon were immediately brought to the clinic to get treatment as soon as they were discovered. The doctor said that they were fine with only minor bruises and slight burns but he still made them rest and skip classes. The boys decided to spend the rest of the break making sure that the girl was fine.

“Do you want anything, babydoll?” Jimin asked Haeyoon as he sat beside her on the bed, wrapping an arm around her petite shoulders. “Just name it.”

“Can you make him stop pacing like a cat who’s about to give birth?” she looked at her brother who kept on pacing back and forth. “I would really appreciate that.”

“Let him be,” Namjoon said from her other side, gently caressing her bandaged hand. She didn’t realize until she was treated that she had obtained quite a number of slight burns and bruises on some part of her arms and face. “It’s his way of venting his stress. He almost got crazy when he found out that you were trapped in a flaming laboratory. Well, all of us are worried-sick about you, you almost gave us a heart attack.”

“I’m sorry for worrying all of you,” she said a little too loud so that the six of them could hear but not loud enough to wake Joonmyeon who was resting on the other side of the room.

Jin softened when he heard the girl apologize and said, “Aww, it’s okay, princess; It’s an accident, it’s not your fault.”

“Yeah, but promise me that nothing like this will happen again, okay?” Hoseok said as he shoved a whining Jimin out of the bed only to claim the place before wrapping his own arm around Haeyoon and kissing her hair.

A minute later, the nurse came and told the boys to go back to their classes. The boys reluctantly left the room but Yoongi stayed behind for a few moments more.

Yoongi sat beside her before taking one of her hands into his. He studied her face for a while with pair of worried eyes before he sighed and said, “Two of your hands now are injured, you’re such a trouble-magnet, you know?” She chuckled at that but didn’t say anything as her brother continued, “I…I’m so sorry I wasn’t able to protect you like how I promised.”

She was touched when she saw how worried Yoongi was. “You came just on time, Yoongi. You let us out of the lab, so, please, don’t blame youself.”

“But still…you’re hurt because I’m not there to protect you,” he murmured with regretful eyes.

“Stop it,” she said, pulling her brother into a hug. “You can’t keep me from getting hurt twenty-four seven, okay? Besides, I’m perfectly fine now.” She pulled away to show him a smile. “Cheer up for me, brother.”

Yoongi cracked a small smile before planting a kiss on her forehead. “Rest well, princess. I’ll pick you up when the classes end.” With that said, he also left the room.

Haeyoon was about to lie down when the door opened again. She thought that it was Yoongi so she was surprised when a very solemn Taehyung entered the room. “Hey, I thought you left already?” She asked the boy who had been awfully quiet since they were rescued. He hadn’t uttered a single word but his face clearly says that he was worried as hell. Haeyoon watched him fidget for a while at the foot of her bed before he walked up to her and suddenly pulled her into a tight warm hug. “I’m okay now, Taehyunggie, I’m fine,” she said as she patted his broad back comfortingly. 

“I’m just so glad that you’re safe,” he breathed against the crook of her neck. “I had never been so scared in my life.” Haeyoon don’t know what to say so she just returned his hug instead. After a few moments, her best friend pulled away to peck her on the forehead. “Don’t scare me again like that, best friend, hmm?” He smiled at her and gave her one last hug before leaving the room.

Haeyoon can’t help but smile to herself as she thought of how lucky she was for having friends like them and a brother who would look after her all the time. She was grateful for having caring people around her. And speaking of being grateful, she thought of Joonmyeon who saved her from being toasted inside the laboratory. Her eyes travelled to his sleeping form and she felt guilty upon seeing the wounds he sustained because of protecting her. She should definitely thank the boy properly once he wake up and she would also probably ask a few questions about him and the supernatural things that happened during the fire and maybe, just maybe, he could also answer the questions that’s been bugging her lately.

 


	5. Marked Seal and The Guardian

“Does it still hurt?” Haeyoon asked for the umpteenth time since she started treating Jungkook’s wounds which he got because of her. The girl can’t help but feel guilty when they got home and saw the boy curled up on the living room’s settee with a pained expression, how inconsiderate of her to forget that when she’s hurt then so is Jungkook and vice versa. “I’m so sorry,” she apologized again, putting ointment on the last burn on his arm before screwing the cap back and putting away everything in the medicine kit.

“Aren’t you hurt, too?” he gently took her bandaged hand in his equally injured one while giving her a concerned look.

“Yes, but I’m fine—”

“Then I’m fine, too,” he smiled, adorable buck-teeth and all, making her smile, too. Jungkook really has a way of easing her worries every time.

“Jin told me something’s on the news,” Yoongi announced grimly as soon as he came in the living room. He immediately grabbed the remote and switched the TV on the news channel.

“—was found last night and was identified as a high school student named Lee Sora. Her body was discovered in a dark alley beside a convenient store by a random passerby,” the female newscaster delivered in a professional manner and it was obvious that she was trying to keep her emotions in check. Even in the mid-summer, the room’s temperature felt like it dropped a few degrees lower.

“Oh no…” Haeyoon’s hand flew to her mouth when she heard the name of the victim. It was one of her schoolmates that she had talked to once or twice and the girl’s death upset her more than the past murders. For once, since the killings had started almost a week ago, she felt cold raw fear crawl up her spine, the horrifying truth catching up on her. It’s the first time someone she knew or connected to her, even in the slightest way, was caught up in the entire serial-murder terror going on and it shocked her to the core.

“Like the other recent victims, the female’s body was left dried like life had been sucked out of her thoroughly. The authority was still trying to find the method of killing seeing as there are no wounds, punctures, scratches, bruises, marks or burns that may have indicate cause of death. Citizens, most especially high school students, were advised to avoid going out alone at night and—,” Yoongi didn’t even bother finishing what the newscaster was saying because it was just the same reminder since the bone-chilling strange murders started. He turned off the TV and threw the remote on the coffee table, plunging the whole room in total silence.

No one uttered a word after that but they all came to the same ghastly conclusion that there was someone or something out there killing high school students and they weren’t sure if it was even human.

 

“PHONE?”

“Check.”

“Battery?”

“Check.”

“Pepper spray?”

“Check.”

“How about—,”

“Yoongi, chill,” Haeyoon let out a small chuckle at how cute her brother looked fussing over like that. “I’ve got it all with me.”

Yoongi sighed before patting her sister on the head, hating the idea of letting her out of his sight at times like this. They were currently standing in front of the lockers and doing an over-check before splitting for class. “Don’t go home without me, understood? And if anything unusual happen or if anything looks suspicious, call me right away.”

“Aye, aye, captain,” she mocked-saluted, making her brother crack an amused smile but she can still see traces of worries on his handsome face. “Stop worrying for a minute, Yoongi. Nothing can possibly happen here in school during broad daylight.”

“I know but still…”

“We’ll be fine, we’ll be safe,” then she slipped her arms around his waist, giving him a reassuring squeeze before pulling away and saying, “Smile for me?”

“Fine, fine,” he sighed, lips tugging up at the corners. He can’t deny that his sister has a way of turning rain into sunshine, lifting up his mood every time with her bright smile and attitude.

“That’s more like it,” she grinned. “Your fansclub told me that they’re missing your gummy smiles already so cheer up,” Haeyoon joked before pecking him on the cheek and skipping towards her class. 

He followed her small figure with his eyes until she turned and disappeared on the corner. Yoongi was about to turn away and head to his own class when something caught his eyes. He could swear he saw a figure hunched over and partially hidden on the other far side of the lockers, the side nearer to where his sister went off, but it was gone as soon as he did a double-take. The boy shook his head and blinked his eyes; maybe Haeyoon was right, maybe he was just paranoid.

 

“MAN, THAT QUIZ was freaking hard!” Hoseok groaned as he slammed his forehead on the cafeteria table, looking so exhausted and stressed out. “I thought my nose was going to bleed with all the numbers and letters.”

“It wasn’t that hard,” Namjoon said with a shrug before taking a bite on his lunch.

“Easy for you to say, smart-ass,” he retorted with a roll of his eyes. “I’m sorry for not being born with a sexy brain, Mr. Problematic Man.” Hoseok’s words were dripping with sarcasm but it made the other boys erupt in boisterous laughter, attracting more attention from the students than they already did. 

Haeyoon looked around the cafeteria before shushing the noisy bunch who didn’t listen and kept on teasing poor Hoseok and his Math issues. She can only sigh as she noticed many girls in the cafeteria staring at their table with twinkling eyes. She was suddenly convinced that no matter how goofy and dorky they acted, the girls would still love these six gorgeous childish boys to bits. Well, she wouldn’t have her friends any other way, too, no matter how much of goofballs they are, though she wouldn’t admit it out loud.

With a shake of her head, Haeyoon decided to tune out their noisy banter and tried to finish her lunch until she was interrupted by her vibrating phone. She fished the device out of her skirt pocket and saw a message from Joonmyeon. The boy asked for her number before they part ways on the day of the fire with the promise of explanation on the supernatural things that she witnessed. Reading his message asking her to meet him at the student council room was enough to pique her curiosity. When she started gathering her tray, Taehyung perked up and asked where she’s headed to.

“Uhm, I have to meet with Shinhye and Gaeun,” she lied because she knew that if she told them she’s going to meet a boy at least one of them would want to come with her. Before any of them, especially Yoongi, could do so much as to ask again, she was already on the counter to put her tray away then slipped out of the door.

Yoongi stared at the door her sister disappeared to when he saw a male student went right after her. He blinked, his suspicious protective side peaking its head but he shook it off, convincing himself that it was just another harmless student and nothing to worry about.

 

HAEYOON WALKED DOWN the halls with a slight spring in her every step. She was suddenly buzzing in anticipation with a mix of nervousness as she think of the things that she might learn from Joonmyeon. Sure, she was scared; heck she should be scared with all the weird things happening around her but her curiosity was over whelming that she wanted immediate answers even if she doesn’t know what to expect. She had always felt like something was amiss and maybe getting some answers from him would help clear some things up. She rounded a corner, and pushed through the corridor until she passed by the slightly opened door of the auditorium. However, her feet halted when an enchanting melody coming from a piano inside the auditorium caught her ears. 

The melody was so soft, peaceful and beautiful but…it was also melancholic. Listening to it was like seeing a beautiful broken fallen angel.

Beautifully tragic.

And Haeyoon’s heart twisted sadly.

It seemed like the music was beckoning her to come closer and she did just that. She silently entered the door, walked down the stairs and towards the aisle that led her towards the stage where a white gorgeous grand piano proudly stood. From where she was rooted, the girl can see the perfect side profile of the boy playing the piano. He had his eyes closed as his slender long skilled fingers danced gracefully over the black and white keys. The boy was undeniably beautiful especially with the rays of sunlight softly glowing down on him like his own personal spotlight and she don’t know if it’s just her eyes playing tricks on her or the sun is really shining brighter on his part compared to the other part of the vast room.

Haeyoon thought that the tune he was making was really touching but when he parted his lips, she knew that it was the most beautiful voice she had ever heard.

And also the saddest.

Even the lyrics he was singing was conveying so much loneliness that made her eyes became glassy.

_I'm struggling to find you who I connot see_

I'm _struggling to find you who I cannot hear_

_I see things that I couldn't see before_

_I hear things that I couldn't hear before_

_After_ —

She didn’t even realize that she had been crying until a soft sob escaped her lips, making the pianist stop singing and playing altogether before snapping his eyes open to look around him. She didn’t even know why, but she ducked behind the row of seats right before he caught sight of her. Why was she hiding like some stalker? And more importantly, why was she freaking crying? Why was she so affected when she barely know the guy? What in the world is wrong with her?

“Is someone there?” she heard the boy asked in his velvety soft voice and that’s when she fled out of the auditorium before he even had the chance to see her.

She ran the rest of the way towards the student council room, her heart racing and pounding against her rib cage. She halted when she reached the door, hands on her chest in an attempt to slow down her erratic heartbeat. It felt so strange hearing the boy’s sad voice because…it made her sad, too.

Wiping her tears away with the back of her hand, she pushed the thoughts aside and knocked on the door after recollecting herself. When she heard a soft “come in” she twisted the knob open and saw a smiling Joonmyeon behind his desk.

“Hi, Haeyoon,” he greeted her as he gestured at the chair in front of him. When she took it, he didn’t waste time beating around the bush and asked, “So, where do you want to start? What do you want to know first?” There was a smile on his angelic face but she knew that he was as anxious as her about this whole thing. After all, it wasn’t everyday that you get to witness some kind of magic display that you were positive never existed until you saw it with your own naked eyes.

“Uhm, how about how you got the water-controlling powers?” she awkwardly said, titling her head to the side. It still felt so weird talking about magical powers like it was not a nature-defying thing.

“Oh, that?” a small smirk graced his features. “I was born—no, scratch that, I was created with it.”

“Created?” she dumbly repeated the word back at him. “What do you mean by that?”

The boy sighed as he leaned back his chair, eyes casted of to the side. “You see, Haeyoon. I’m not human…more like a super-natural being as your kind would like to put it.” He paused and waited for her reaction but all he got was silence and when he looked back at her, her mouth was slightly parted in awe. And if she ever found his revelation crazy and ridiculous, she didn’t say anything about it and waited for him to continue, so he did. “I’m a…sorcerer from the Kingdom of Lucere.”

Haeyoon took a deep breath and said, “Uhh…I kind of know that.”

Now it was Joonmyeon’s turn to be dumbfounded. He half expected the girl to laugh at his face once he told her the truth or even run away from him in fear but not this. “How’d you know?”

Haeyoon shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Uhm, well, my parents had this weird black book with lots of gems on it and I happened to read something about the Kingdom of Lucere being the world of sorcerers and all. At first I found it really absurd, crazy even, but, hey, maybe nothing is impossible, right? ” She looked at him with bright wide eyes. “And as weird as it may sound, since I was small, I kind of believe that there are other beings out there…you know, that humans are not exactly the only race occupying the universe.”

The boy blinked and was amazed at how Haeyoon was calmly and open-mindedly dealing with all this supernatural things. “Your parents possessed the Estoire?” Joonmyeon asked as sat up straighter on his chair.

“The—what?”

“The black book with gems on it,” he explained. “It’s called Estoire and it held every fact about Lucere.”

“Oh,” her brows pinched together in the most subtle way. “I also read something about The Guardians. Do you know what they are? I didn’t really get to finish the book because, uh, dad or maybe mom hid it the next day, so yeah.”

“Yes, I perfectly know them…and I’m one of them, Haeyoon,” he quietly said to her as a flash of pain crossed his eyes. “I’m one of The Guardians of Lucere.”

“No way…” she uttered in astonishment but strangely enough, she didn’t found it that hard to believe. The way he perfectly controlled the water was proof enough. “Wow, I’m actually talking to a sorcerer, a Guardian.” She paused in a beat before asking, “So, how was I able to bring your memories back?”

The boy broke out into a bright grateful smile at her question. “Well, I don’t really know how to explain that one but you somehow managed to lift the seal off that was put on me and some of my brothers almost two decades ago,” Then he thought for a moment. “Maybe you’re also a sorcerer like me? A sorceress?”

She shook her head. “That would be impossible. I mean, I should’ve known by now that I have powers, shouldn’t I?”

The boy pursed his lips. “You’ve got a point but how could you explain the Estoire being in your parents’ possession?”

“Well, I don’t have any idea,” she mumbled, thinking back to the night they heard their parents’ strange conversation and she suddenly had a sinking feeling that her mother and father aren’t what she thought them to be. “Anyway, since you’re a sorcerer and all, do you know anything about this?” she rolled the sleeve of her blazer and shirt before extending her wrist to Joonmyeon.

“Wha—where’d you get this?” the boy asked, eyes wide and face bewildered, as he held her hand. His reaction was similar to Mark’s and it confused the girl more.

“Uh…I—that,” she hesitated for a moment, pulling her hand back, before she continued. “I got that when I met a boy name Jeon Jungkook.”

“How?” he asked again, brows furrowed as he looked intently at her. 

Thinking that the boy might actually know what the mark is for, she started telling him exactly what happened that day.

“That is a Marked Seal,” said Joonmyeon with a grim face as if it was a very bad news.

Haeyoon had a puzzled look on her face. So Jungkook was right, it was a seal. “But why do I have this? What is this for?”

“You are being used as a seal to that Jungkook,” the boy told her, his lips forming a thin line. “You’re basically the seal itself.”

“Wh-what do you mean?” her voice was laced with confusion and disbelief. The way Joonmyeon said it to her was like it was a really bad thing.

“In our world, powers and magics can be sealed and, usually, the black harmful magics are those being sealed,” he explained. “There are invisible weak types of seals that can be removed easily, while a Marked Seal, like the one you have, was a strong kind of seal for powers that are hard to contain. Marked seals require a host to be able to withstand the strong magic it was meant to keep and can only be done by a Tertius, a class A Lucerian that is powerful and strong.” 

“Wait, are you telling me that Jungkook has a power and is dangerous?” she asked incredulously. “But he’s just a normal boy. He can’t use magic like you.”

“I’m not actually saying that he’s a sorcerer but it’s what that mark is for—a seal,” he calmly told her. “And sealed sorcerers can’t use their powers. We need to know that boy’s identity to know why he was sealed.”

“Oh god,” Haeyoon groaned because of information overload. She thought that she could get answers to her questions but it was getting more complicated with all the things that she learned. And now that she thought about it, she doesn’t really know who Jungkook is. His family was very mysterious and she doesn’t know a thing about them other than he is the son of Mrs. Jeon Youngmi. She sagged against her seat and took a deep breath. “Let me breath for a sec.”

There was a moment of silence until Joonmyeon spoke again, “Haeyoon, I need your help to find my brothers and possibly lift the invisible seals off of them.” He gave her a desperate look. “And in exchange, I’ll help you know more about that seal and why it was put on you and that boy.”

The girl looked up at him and gave him a dubious look. “As much I would like to take your offer, I don’t have any idea how I was able to remove your seal. And one question, why are you even sealed?”

Regret, pain and frustration flickered in the boy’s eyes as if he’s remembering something unpleasant. “It was almost two decades ago when King Zardus died defeating one black sorcerer named Magos but he only managed to seal him and his body in the deepest and darkest part of Lucere. Our Queen died the same day as she gave birth to their second child and amidst the chaos and war still happening between the Light Sorcerers and Tainted Ones, the palace was ambushed and we, The Guardians and some members of the council, are forced to leave Lucere together with the Prince and Princess.” He paused as he casted his stare out the windows. “We are almost at the portal to the human realm when some of them caught up on us. The twelve of us Guardians stayed behind to fight and buy time while the servants and the children proceeded to the human realm. We are all worn out because of the war but we still managed to put up a good fight but just when we thought we are safe to jump in the portal, one of the Tainted Ones managed to put a seal in some of us just before we crossed. The next thing I know was I was in a park and…alone.”

Haeyoon saw the broken and lost look on Joonmyeon and her heart immediately reached out to him. “Joonmyeon…”

“I assumed that we had been all separated from each other at some point with some of them suffering the same predicament as me before you happened to lift the seal off,” he heaved a deep burdened sigh before burying his head in his hands. “I was the leader but I wasn’t able to protect my brothers and the children. We lost the only hope of Lucere Kingdom and I don’t know where to start looking for them.”

The boy looked up when he felt a warm comforting hand on his shoulder and saw Haeyoon smiling warmly at him. “We’re going to find them. I’ll help you.”

“Haeyoon…”

“But let me just ask you this,” she grinned playfully at him and he felt some of the weight on his heart being lifted up. “Can you, like, do a dancing fountain with your powers?”

A smile slowly made its way on Joonmyeon lips and said, “You have no idea.”

 


	6. Black Cloak and White Beast

“OH, LOOK! THEY’RE following you,” Haeyoon chirped as she pointed her index finger to the group of Koi fishes on the small pond located near the back of their school building where students rarely go to. Joonmyeon was showing her some fascinating ways of controlling water on his hands when she noticed that the fishes are swimming towards wherever direction the boy would go to. “Is controlling water creatures part of you power, too?”

The boy stopped juggling five small water spheres on top of his hands, making them disappear into a mist, before answering her. “Yes, but I’m not really controlling those fishes right now, but you could say that they are behaving like that because of my powers.”

“I’m just curious,” she cocked her head to the side as her eyes travelled to Joonmyeon’s clothed arm. “What does the mark on your arm means? It kept on glowing whenever you’re using your powers.”

“Every Guardian has a symbol marked on them that represents their magic or spirit, if you may,” he explained. “I have mine on my forearm while the others have it on other different parts. In our world, we call our magic or powers, spirits and all twelve of us possess different spirits. Mine is water and pretty much everything related to it.”

“That’s so cool,” she said, dipping a hand into the water. She yelped in surprise when the fishes crowded around her hand like they are asking her to pet them. She whipped her head to Joonmyeon who had a grin on his face.

“Now, you could say that I’m controlling them,” he chuckled at the girl’s cute delighted expression. He was amused at how she was getting so happy and excited at every little things. She would smile brightly everytime he did something with his powers and somehow…it made him warm and fuzzy inside.

He continued watching her giggling every time a Koi would brush her palm until he saw a figure move from the corner of his eyes. He snapped his head towards the direction of the school building, suddenly afraid that some human might’ve witnessed his supernatural stunts but then he…felt it. 

That familiar aura and presence.

A sudden thought crossed his mind. Their powers might be sealed but he would still be able to feel his brothers’ presence if they are near enough. They were created with a special bond that binds them to each other and to the members of the royal line. Hope surged through him that maybe one of his brothers was in the same vicinity as him, near enough that he could feel him. He turned his head around, the bright mid-day sun making him squint until a glinting object on the ground caught his eyes. He walked towards it and bent down to pick it up.

A silver name plate.

Do Kyungsoo.

“D.O,” he mumbled the name of one of his brothers when he read what was written on the pin. It was achingly similar and he can’t help but think that this guy may be his brother who also lost his memories and had his name changed by the people who took him in just like what happened to him. His real name was Suho but since he can’t remember anything when the kind Kim family found him, they named his Joonmyeon.

“Is something wrong?” he was pulled out of his thoughts when Haeyoon came up beside him with a worried look.

“Uh, I saw this,” he said showing her the silver name plate. “Someone must’ve dropped it.”

“That guy is my classmate,” said Haeyoon when she recognized the name. “He’s a new transfer.” Then her brows furrowed as she mused, “How did that get here?”

Joonmyeon stilled and his eyes landed on the girl. A new transfer kid wouldn’t easily know the place where they were on his first week because the pond was situated on a quite secluded area in the campus…unless…

Do kyungsoo, for some unknown reason, was following him.

Or Min Haeyoon.

 

MINUTES BEFORE LUNCH break end, Haeyoon decided to return to her class to avoid being late. Before she parted ways with Joonmyeon, she can’t help but take note of his preoccupied look and when she asked him, the boy brushed her worries off with a smile and said that it’s nothing. 

Just as she entered the main building, she was greeted by a sight of many students, majority of which were girls, and it looked like they were crowding over something that she can’t see from her position.

“Oh my gosh! You’re so cute!”

“Can I take you home?”

“Are you lost?”

“Aww, I want to squish him!”

“Come here and let noona take care of you, handsome!”

 

“Haeyoon!” she whipped her head to see Shinhye and Gaeun waving her over, beside the vending machine.

“What’s up?” she asked, nodding her heard towards the crowd which was, she noticed, either squealing giddily or having a dreamy look in their eyes. It was a rather familiar scene to her since she was always around Yoongi and the other boys.

“There’s a really, really, really cute guy there,” Gaeun said as she tried to suppress her own excitement. “I don’t think he goes here. If he did, I bet I would notice him right away.”

“And he seemed lost or searching for someone,” Shinhye added, “Look.” The girl pointed and she followed her finger through a gap in the crowd and saw the person in the middle.

Haeyoon’s jaw dropped the moment her eyes landed on the figure.

“Jungkook?!”

“You know him?” her two friends blurted in unison.

“Uh…Well, I’ll explain later,” she said to them, not taking her eyes off the boy who looked like a lost scared puppy despite his towering height. “I just have to get him out of there.”

The two girls stared after Haeyoon as she approached the crowd.

“Good idea. I think those girls wanted to eat him alive,” Gaeun agreed.

“Why does she have so many cute boys as her friends? Shinhye asked no one in particular.

“Jungkook!”

The boy perked up at the sound of that familiar voice calling his name. He looked around frantically until his eyes met her caramel brown ones, relief rushing through him. “Haeyoon,” he breathed, a sweet grateful smile curving on his lips as she squeezed through the crowd towards him. He wanted so much to run, hug her and hide in her arms but his feet were stuck to the ground like glue. He didn’t like being crowded by so many people. It scared him and made breathing hard.

“What are you doing in here?” Haeyoon immediately questioned him as she grabbed his hand which she noticed was cold and shaking. “How’d you get in here?” She began pulling him away from the crowd, earning herself death glares and annoyed whispers from some of the girls but she didn’t seem to notice any of it as she tightened her hand on Jungkook’s. She can just imagine how scared the boy was when he suddenly got mobbed by so many unfamiliar faces.

With her friends in tow, she led Jungkook towards the library, the safest and most peaceful place she could think of the moment. Once they were inside she started bombarding him again with questions.

“Why are you here? Did something happen back in the house?” she asked him again. “How’d you manage to get in here?” She knew that Jungkook never left his mother’s house or their house without company and the first time he ever got out was when her mother took the boy to take exams. It was a real wonder for her how he managed to find their school without getting lost in the way.

“No, nothing happened. I…I just wanted to see you,” he said as his doe-like eyes looked up into her own orbs through his thick lashes. “I felt where you are…so I followed it…”

It was a weird answer but somehow, she believed him, after all, they can feel whenever the other one is hurt. She wanted to ask more questions but she remembered that her friends were there, listening to their conversation. She considered things for a moment before she said, “Will you be fine if leave you here for a while? I still have a few more classes and I can’t skip.” She reached over the table and squeezed his hand reassuringly when she saw panic flash in his eyes. “Don’t worry, you won’t get mobbed in here, the librarian won’t allow it. I can’t possibly send you back home alone so I’ll just fetch you right after my class, hmm?”

Jungkook stared at her for a while before slowly nodding his head. “Okay, I’ll wait for you.”

Haeyoon smiled. “There are many book in here, you can read all you want.”

The boy reluctantly let go of her hand when she pulled away and then she patted his head before leaving the library. Once they were out, Shinhye and Gaeun started throwing questions at her.

“He’s a distant relative,” she blurted a lie when they suddenly asked if Jungkook was her boyfriend. “A…cousin, yeah, he’s my cousin.” She glanced over at them as they walk towards their class, hoping that they buy into her bluff. “Look, I’ll explain more some other time, we’re already late.”

The whole period, Haeyoon wasn’t able to concentrate on her lessons. Her worried mind kept on drifting towards Jungkook. Her other classes went by in a blur until the final bell rang. She was the first one to get up and dash out of their room.

As soon as she was in the library, she went to the table where they left him and she was relieved when he was still there, sitting and quietly reading a book like she told him to. Haeyoon smiled when she saw a few books lying on the table in front of him. It looked like he quite enjoyed his time in the library.

“Hi,” she said, making Jungkook look up and smile at the sight of her. She slid on the chair in front of him before sending a message to Yoongi.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence as she watched Jungkook read, Yoongi came. He didn’t ask anything but Haeyoon knew that he would fire questions at them once they got home.

 

“JB, WHY DOES Haeyoonie have that Marked Seal on her?” Bambam asked curiously as they lounge around their dorm’s living room area.

“Is she like us, too?” Yugyeom added, making the others listen intently to what the leader was about to answer.

Ever since the day they saw the mark on Haeyoon’s wrist, they all became confused and worried for the girl. He, Mark, and Jr had been digging through their old documents and books that might answer their questions but to no avail.

“I don’t know and I doubt she’s like us,” he replied with a serious expression. “But that mark means that she was sealed or she was being used as a host to seal someone.” He chewed on his lips as a frown made its way on his handsome face. “But since she’s…human, I think it’s more of the latter.”

“But if it was the latter, then who?” Jackson asked, mirroring the same grim look as JB, his usual playfulness gone. “That person must be someone powerful…”

“Shouldn’t we tell her?” Youngjae suggested which earned him a firm “No” from both Mark and Jr. “Why?”

“She’ll be safer physically and emotionally if we keep the truth from her,” Jr reasoned out. “I wouldn’t want to scare her by telling her that having the Marked Seal would mean that her life is in danger. I can’t afford to do that to, princess.” Then a shadow casted on his face as he said, “And by telling her about the mark…we also have to tell her who we really are…”

“Who would even choose a human as a host?” Bambam pouted as he drew his knees closer to his chest and leaned against the foot of the settee. “They’re fragile and can’t use powers to protect themselves. Using a weak host means a weak seal.”

“I don’t even know that aside from us, there would be another sorcerer in the human world,” Jr said as he shifted on top of the recliner. 

“Maybe it was because of the war,” Jackson offered from where he sat on the carpeted floor. “I wonder what happened after that…”

“I can’t believe we would be dealing with some sorcerers again after a long time,” Youngjae sighed as he spread his long legs beside Yugyeom. “I thought we would be able to live peacefully among with the humans.”

“We still can,” Mark spoke for the first time as he travelled his eyes on each of them from his spot on the settee beside their leader. “If we could only know who put the seal on Haeyoon, we could start from that.” He looked at all of them with a determined face. “We can’t let any human be harmed by any sorcerer…especially her.” He shook his head. “No, not Haeyoon.”

“Does that mean that we would also hunt the serial-killer down?” Yongjae cocked an eyebrow. “We all know that the killer wasn’t human.”

“Yeah, I don’t want to wait until Haeyoonie become the next victim,” Bambam nodded, liking Youngjae’s idea.

“I have a feeling that it’s not only one killer we’re going to deal with,” Jackson muttered and the room grew silent.

“It’s the Tainted Ones, isn’t it?” Yugyeom’s question sounded a lot more like a statement. “Why would they even do something like this?”

“That’s a good question,” Jackson stated.

“I know that we promised not to use any of our powers again and not involve ourselves in anything related to sorcery but…” JB trailed off as Haeyoon’s beautiful face flashed in his mind. If there’s one human that they all cherished, it will be her. He won’t let any harm come to the girl, his heart won’t allow that. “If it’s for Haeyoon then we’ll do it.”

 

THE SKY WAS painted in a beautiful shade of orange, red and yellow as the sun was already half-way into setting beyond the horizon. Yoongi, Haeyoon and Jungkook were on their way home.

“Let’s buy some icecream first,” Yoongi suggested as they passed by a convenient store. He still had a paranoid feeling that someone was following them even as they left the school and he figured that a tub of cold sweetness might help him relax a bit.

There wasn’t that much customer and the place was really quiet. While the boy was having a hard time choosing between mint chocolate and coffee crumble with Jungkook awkwardly watching him struggle with himself, Haeyoon’s phone rang. 

It was Jackson.

“I’ll just take this call outside, I’ll be back in a jiffy,” she informed the two boys before walking out of the store.

When she was about to take the call, a cute little girl standing in front of the alley beside the store caught her attention. Haeyoon scanned their surroundings to see any adult around but it seemed like the child was alone. Phone forgotten, Haeyoon walked towards the girl and she saw the lost look in her small pretty face.

“Hey,” she softly called as she crouched down in front of her. “Are you lost?”

The little girl didn’t answer, instead, she ran towards the dark alley, alarming Haeyoon.

“Where are you going?!” she scrambled into a standing position before running after the girl. “It’s dangerous there!”

She felt her heartbeat quickened when she saw the child plunging deeper the long eerie passageway. The serial-murder case happening around crossed her mind and she instantly began to worry and panic for the small girl. She doesn’t know whether to feel relieved or crept out when the girl stopped in front of a wall.

A dead-end.

Her heart was pounding against her chest and her mind was telling her that something was very wrong in the situation. She cautiously approached the child and said, “Come here, sweetheart, I won’t hurt you, I’ll help you find your mom and dad.”

She was a few steps away from the girl when she felt a sudden drop in temperature making her skin crawl and her steps halt. The alley grew silent until all she could hear was her own increasing heartbeat.

“Hey…” she called in a soft voice but the child didn’t show any kind of movement as she stood in front of the wall with her back on Haeyoon. She almost jump out of her skin when she heard a small noise from her back and when she turned out of instinct, she was met by darkness. “What the…” Cold dread washed over her like a bucket of ice when she can’t see the entrance of the alleyway anymore.

A soft small giggle pierced through the dead silent and Haeyoon turned in time to see the girl be engulfed by a black mist. “No!” she ran towards the child but was immediately frozen mid-way when a tall figure in black cloak and hood appeared on the spot where the little girl was previously standing. Her blood ran cold when the figure faced her with a sinister smile and coal-black eyes. All she can see was his face because the cloak was covering his body and the hood was pulled over his head. He looked like someone from an evil cult in a horror film and Haeyoon would’ve found it lame and stupid if only this was a movie. But no, this was reality and she was scared out of her wits.

“No…” she gasped with her eyes wide as saucers. The man’s ominous stare summoned goose-bumps in her skin and his disturbingly beautiful face made her take a step back. Everything about his face is painfully stunning but his eyes sent an awful shiver down her spine. Unlike humans, his eyes were a frightening pair of black orbs with no trace or even ring of white around it.

But the man was beautiful.

…Horrifyingly beautiful.

…If that was even possible.

When the man took a step forward—no, scratch that—he freaking floated towards Haeyoon and she instinctively took a step back only to trip on her own feet. She cursed herself for being such a klutz and when the cloaked figure started advancing towards her again, she began scrambling backwards. Her heart lurched in her throat and a bloodcurdling scream tore through her chest when the man appeared in front of her in just a blink of an eye. Haeyoon began shaking in fear when the man grasped her chin with ice cold hand and leaned his ashen face towards hers. Immobilized in terror, all she could do was to stupidly squeeze her eyes shut and wait…for her death.

A sudden loud menacing growl made her eyes snap open in time to see the man being pulled away from her. He was flung towards the wall by an enormous immaculately white wolf. The animal’s white fur was a stark contrast against the man’s dark appearance.

Haeyoon’s mouth fell open but no words came out. Everything happened so fast and when the wolf sunk its sharp fangs on the man’s neck, instead of spurting blood, the man became a black mist and disappeared.

“Oh…my…god…” she whispered in between deep breaths. Her heart picked up its pace again when the enormous five-foot white creature started treading towards her. “No…please…d-don’t hurt me…” she pleaded as she dragged her self against the ground.

The wolf stopped a few feet away from her and stared at her with its round black glossy eyes. But unlike the cloaked man, the creature’s eyes didn’t instill fear on Haeyoon. And if she wasn’t shaking out of fear at the moment, she would have found its eyes warm, kind and…familiar.

As crazy as it might sound, Haeyoon stayed sitting on the ground as she leaned on her arms while the wolf stood there and quietly watch her calm down. Yes, Haeyoon realized that the wolf wasn’t scaring her like how the man scared her. It’s weird but she found herself actually calming down. She flinched when the wolf closed the remaining distance between them and though she wanted to run, her still wobbly legs won’t obey her command. The creature slowly leaned its huge head towards her and she squeezed her eyes shut as her heart skipped a beat in slight fear. She waited for the pain…that never came.

“Huh?” she peeled one eye open when she heard a soft whimper, like that of a puppy asking for something. “…what?” The wolf carefully nudged her bent knee with its muzzle and made a soft whimpering noise again. When she didn’t do anything, it leaned closer to her face, making her flinch again, before gently licking her cheek. Something clicked in her head and she tentatively reached out her still slightly shaking hand towards the animal’s head. Her hand hovered in the air, still unsure of what to do until the wolf pushed its wet black nose against her palm. “Okay…” she exhaled before carefully stroking the top of its huge head. The white fur was so soft and fluffy and as she ran her fingers through it, the wolf whimpered in utter satisfaction.

Haeyoon watched the white large beast in front of her act like a little puppy as she pets it. A gasp escaped her lips when she saw a glowing blue symbol on its white chest. It was like Joonmyeon’s symbol but of different design. Her hand unconsciously travelled down to its wide chest, touching the symbol that looked like a head with two horns…like a bull or something.

“Could it be…Joonmyeon’s brother?” she looked at the wolf’s eyes before the creature’s whole body glowed in a white blinding light. “What…”

The light slowly disappeared, revealing a familiar boy sitting in front of Haeyoon. Her eyes almost bulge out of its sockets for the umpteenth time as she took in his uniform, wide bright eyes and heart-shaped lips. 

There’s no mistaking it…

“Do Kyungsoo?!”


	7. Mysterious Pianist

“You’re a Guardian,” Haeyoon said in a daze as if she can’t still believe that she had found another one. “I…I found another Guardian. Shit.” She looked at Kyungsoo who was staring wide-eyed at her. “I can’t believe that _you_ are a Guardian.”

Stars had started dotting the sky and the last of the sun can be barely seen behind the horizon. The night will fall upon them in just a matter of minutes but neither of them noticed as they sat on a bench at the empty park a few blocks from the convenient store.

“I’m guessing that Suho already explained things to you,” Kyungsoo’s voice was so deep and it summoned goose bumps on her skin. They hardly had any interactions at school but talking to the boy felt almost natural to Haeyoon and she found it strange.

“Who’s Suho?” she asked, her arms instinctively wrapping themselves around her as the chilly wind blew past them.

“Joonmyeon’s real name.”

“Oh…yes, he told me a lot of things but it’s still overwhelming to see a Guardian like you using his powers,” she cracked a small smile before her eyes went wide as if a realization hit her. “Wait, are you a werewolf?”

“No, no,” the boy chuckled at her reaction. “It’s just one of the forms that I could turn into. You see, I control the Earth and transforming into land creatures are one of my powers.”

“Wow, cool powers you have there,” she said. “Joonmyeon would be really happy to see you.”

Kyungsoo’s face turned into one of pure longing, relief and happiness. “I knew the moment I saw him that he looked so familiar. When I still can’t remember anything, I felt a strange pull when I saw him the day I transferred school. Then I saw you together and decided to follow you to the pond…and that’s when I saw him using his spirit.”

“That explains your name pin lying on the ground,” she mused to herself.

“During that time, I still can’t understand the odd feeling whenever he’s around, like something is pulling me to him but now I know why…” he trailed off as a small smile danced on his heart-shaped lips.

Kyungsoo was staring in front of him with a soft look on his handsome face, giving Haeyoon the liberty to stare and appreciate his beauty. He got thick perfect eye brows that complemented his wide bright doe-like eyes. He also got a smooth face, straight proud nose and a pair of pink plump lips. He’s really a pretty boy.

Was she so busy being creep out by him before that she failed to notice all of this? Haeyoon laughed inwardly at herself and can’t help but wonder what the other Guardians would look like.

“It’s the bond,” Haeyoon was pulled out of her thoughts when Kyungsoo spoke again. “We, Guardians, are created with a special bond that binds us to one another. That is how I felt Suho’s presence.”

“Your powers never cease to amaze,” she told him.

“And it’s because of you that I can use them again,” he smiled warmly at her. “Thank you for lifting the seal and bringing back my memories.”

“Well, I don’t really know how I did that for the second time but, yeah,” she shrugged. “I think we’re even now, you saved my life back at the alley.” She tightened her arms around her body when the terrifying image of the man in cloak popped in her head. She just hoped that it won’t haunt her in her dreams. “By the way, how were you able to find me?”

Kyungsoo’s brow furrowed as he thought to himself, “It’s really strange but I felt the same pull so…I followed you and when I saw you being attacked, it felt like something snapped in me before my memories came back.”

“H-how is that even possible?” she asked in bewilderment. “The pull and all, it’s weird.”

He shook his head and said, “I don’t know. But maybe my brother knows.”

Haeyoon was about to open her mouth and say something when the boy spoke again. “They’re coming.”

“What?” she panicked for a moment, thinking that it was the man in cloak again. “W-who’s coming?”

“Your brother and the other boy,” he glanced at her. “I can feel them through the ground.”

Haeyoon released a sigh of relief. “You scared me for a moment there.” A thought crossed her mind and she said, “Maybe that’s how you felt me, too, through the ground?”

“No…I felt their presence because of my Earth spirit…” he trailed off as he looked intently at her. “But with you…it’s a pull similar to what I felt with Suho…”

“Maybe we should really ask him tomorrow at school,” she suggested though she wanted to ask him more question about the thing—because she was certain it wasn’t a human though she preferred to call it ‘man in cloak’ in her mind—that attacked her. But she reckoned that it would be better if Joonmyeon would be involved, too. 

Kyungsoo stood up and surprised her when he took one of her hands and tenderly kissed the back of it. “I will forever be indebted to you, Min Haeyoon.” He smiled affectionately at her before he walked away, leaving her blushing ten shades of red at his random actions.

A few minutes later, she could hear her name being called out.

“I’m here,” she called back at them.

The tight painful knot in Yoongi’s heart was released once he saw his sister safe and sound. But it didn’t stop him from scolding and yelling at her. “What the hell, Haeyoon? Are you really trying to give us a heart attack?!”

Seeing her brother and Jungkook’s worried faces immediately made her feel guilty. She didn’t mean to forget about them. “I’m so sorry…” she said as sincerely as she could.

The older male heaved an exasperated sigh before reaching for her and pulling her into his arms. “Sorry for yelling…I’m just so freaking worried. Please, don’t disappear like that again.”

“I’m sorry,” she murmured against his chest, wrapping her arms around Yoongi’s waist. For now, she decided to not tell him a thing about what happened. It might make him worry more.

“Why are you here, anyway?” he asked as soon as he pulled away from her.

“I…I saw a lost little girl then helped her find her mother,” she half-lied, because she really did see a little girl though she turned out to be a frightening man in cloak. 

Her brother released a defeated sigh. “Min Haeyoon, you’ll be the death of me.”

The girl can only manage a sheepish smile before they resumed their way back home. They were almost at their neighborhood, with Yoongi leading the way, when she felt a warm hand slipped into hers. She looked up and saw Jungkook looking back at her with his wide expressive eyes.

“Your hands were cold,” he quietly said in wonder as if it was such a discovery for him.

A smile graced her lips. “And yours warm…” She felt him grip her hand a little tighter and, oddly, she understood his small gesture. “You were worried, too, right?”

The boy meekly nodded his head.

“Sorry…I’ll try not to do it again,” she squeezed his hand back earning herself an endearing smile from Jungkook.

 

HAEYOON WAS LEANING against the railing of their front porch as she watched the clear dark sky like a canvas beautifully peppered with silver glitters. 

_Do Kyungsoo....He's a Guardian like Joonmyeon._

She was still reeling from what she had learned and she can’t wait to talk to Joonmyeon…together with Kyungsoo.

However the silence of the night was interrupted when her phone rang. She checked it and saw Jackson’s name on display. She swiped her thumb across the screen before putting it up to her ear. “Hello?”

“Sweetcake!” Jackson exclaimed in a high-pitched voice from the other end of the line. “Oh my stress! How are you? Why aren’t you answering your phone earlier?! We thought you were kidnapped or something!” Then she heard some shuffling, like the phone was being passed to someone else. “Yah! I’m still talking to sweetcake!” She chuckled upon hearing Jackson’s protest before another sweet voice drowned it. “Hi, princess! Are you okay?”

“Hi, Jr,” she greeted back. “I’m fine, no need to worry.”

“You home yet?” he asked.

“Yes,” she replied as she looked over behind her shoulder and through the sliding glass door. Yoongi and Jungkook was lounging on the living room and watching tv with bowls of icecream. “We’re actually done with dinner.”

“That’s good.”

There was another shuffling and protest before JB’s smooth voice was heard. “You’re with you’re brother, right?”

“Yes,” she smiled to herself. “I bet I’m on loud speaker.”

“Uh, yeah,” he answered and Haeyoon could almost imagine him rubbing the back of his neck. “We, uhm, just wanted to check if you’re alright. You know, with the bad things happening around, we just wanted to know if you’re safe.”

“I’m fine,” she nodded as if they could possibly see her. “You, guys, should be careful, too.” A shiver ran down her spine when she remembered her terrifying encounter earlier. 

_If it wasn't for Kyungsoo..._  

She shook her head, hoping to push away the horrible image of the cloaked figure that she thought might haunt her even in her sleep. 

“Oh, Haeyoonie, we’re perfectly fine,” it was Bambam’s voice. “We can protect ourselves because we have pow—,” The rest of his words were muffled and Haeyoon can’t help but laugh.

“You have what?”

“Nothing,” Youngjae answered. “We have…nothing but our abs and hotness to fight the bad guys!”

The girl rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right, as if you have abs to begin with.”

“We have!” they chorused. “Come here and I’ll gladly show you mine, sweetcake!” Jackson hollered, making her giggle. 

“Gross, Jack, gross!” she heard Yugyeom complained. “Always be careful, Haeyoon; it’s not safe to be outside especially around this time.”

“Hello, to you, too, Yugyeom,” she giggled, imagining his usual cute poker face. “I’m in the safe confines of my own home, don’t worry.”

There was another shuffling again, a small thud, and then it became quiet.

“Hello?”

“Hey,” a deep voice could be heard from the other line. She smiled, assuming that the person had gone to another room to avoid his friends’ ruckus and noise.

“Mark.”

She glanced at the door again and saw Yoongi raising an eyebrow at her to which she only smiled in return.

“Haeyoon…” there was an undeniable softness in his tone when he spoke her name.

“Yes?”

She heard a soft sigh before Mark spoke again, “Just…please, be safe always, okay? Call me if something happens.”

“I will, don’t worry and be safe, too. You and the guys.”

“Haeyoon…” A pause. “I wanted to tell you something…”

“Sure, what is it?”

“Haeyoon, I…I…” her brows pinched together when he didn’t continue.

“What?”

There was another sigh yet again. “…Uhm, nothing, never mind, maybe some other time.”

“O-oh, sure…” she replied rather unsurely. Mark sure is acting weird over the phone.

“Goodnight, Haeyoon…” he said, voice dropping an octave lower.

“Goodnight, Mark,” then she hung up first like she usually does when she’s talking to Mark.

“Who’s that?” her brother asked once she entered the living room.

She placed her phone on top of the coffee table and gathered her bowl of icecream that was slowly melting down. “Mark and the others.”

The boy groaned and said, “You know that I don’t like them, right?”

“Don’t worry, the feelings mutual for them,” Haeyoon shrugged, eating a spoonful of chocolate mint goodness. “But you know what? You guys think alike in more ways than one.” Glancing at Yoongi, she can’t help but shook her head in disappointment. “And I can’t understand why you’re so against each other.”

“It’s a guy thing, dear sister, guy thing,” Yoongi said with a nod of his head as if he’s really satisfied with his reasoning before turning to Jungkook. “You get that, Jungkook? Guy thing?”

“Guy thing?” Jungkook innocently tilted his head to side, having no idea of what the older boy was talking about.

The girl snorted. “Oh, sure, whatever you say, dear brother,” then she mumbled to herself, “Even if that’s the exact same thing that Jr said.”

 

THAT DAY, HAEYOON went to school an hour earlier than usual. She decided to meet with Joonmyeon and Kyungsoo before their respective classes start. She was on her way to the student council room when a sweet melody stopped her in her tracks. She blinked and she realized that it was coming from a piano…from the auditorium.

‘Déjà vu,’ she thought to herself as she listened intently to the beautiful tune that filled the peaceful morning.

The girl didn’t know why but she found herself wondering if it was the same guy from the other day. When her curiosity finally got the best of her, she crept inside the auditorium just like what she did the other day.

The scene was so familiar to her; the handsome boy sitting in front of the piano, eyes closed and fingers gracefully pressing over the keys. But he was playing a different piece this time; it was less angst-y than the previous song he played.

Haeyoon noticed that the drapes were drawn this time and the only sources of light were the overhead lights and the spotlights located on the edge of the stage. She made sure that her steps were noiseless as possible as she descended down the stairs to avoid distracting the pianist. She stopped a good ten feet from the platform and continued watching him from there. She was sure that the moment he open his eyes, he would see her but she didn’t mind; she only wanted to hear his voice. There was something about him that drew her in everytime. Whether it was his angelic voice or the mysterious aura he carried around him, the girl wasn’t sure.

 

_Even if I seem strong, even if I'm smiling,_

_I spend a lot of time alone._  

 

His voice was as gentle and soothing as the first time she heard it and she can’t help but close her eyes and let his song reach her heart.

 

_Even if I seem like I never have any worries_

_I have a lot I want to say._

_I was so drawn to you in that first moment_

_So I said it all without really thinking things through._

 

A smile spread on her lips. It was a sweet song of confession.

 

_The answer is you, my answer is you._

_I tried showing you all of me._

_You are my everything, I was sure of that._

 

Haeyoon’s eyes fluttered open when the music and his singing voice stopped all at once. Her eyes went wide when she saw that the stage was empty.

A gasp escaped her lips when the spotlights on the stage went off, plunging the whole stage in darkness. Haeyoon took a step back and she felt herself bump into something…

“Hello there.”

…Or someone.

She whirled and found herself face to face with the mysterious pianist.

“H-how…” words left her the moment he caressed her face with his own warm hand. Her heart started hammering in her chest and she didn’t know if it was because of fear or entirely something else. She can’t deny the fact that he was more beautiful up close and also the fact that she was so crept out by his action.

“We’ve been searching for years,” he uttered softly. “But you found two of them in just a matter of days.”

“W-what are you talking about?” she stuttered as she froze in her spot, his face just a few inches away from her own. She realized that she wasn’t really scared but rather, surprised and confused by him. He was a stranger but Haeyoon can’t feel any danger from him.

“You’re a human but…” he trailed off as his beautiful eyes roam over her features, like he was searching for something. “There was something in you...”

Haeyoon swallowed hard as she felt her throat, as well as her lips, getting dry. “Who are you?”

A smile danced over his defined lips. “Who are _you?_ ” he asked her back, his voice laced with genuine curiosity. “How were you able to lift their seals? And why are they…coming for you?”

“What?” she breathed. She was getting flustered from all his mind-boggling statements and it’s not helping that he was so close to her, they were almost inhaling the same air. “Who’s coming for me?”

As if on cue, they heard frantic footsteps and she saw Kyungsoo and Joonmyeon emerge from the door, behind the pianist. They were standing at the top of the stairs with tensed and worried faces.

“See?” the boy smiled even wider. “They’re here to save you.” He retracted his hand away from her face and took a step back. “They felt my presence but it’s funny how they took me as a threat to you.” He spoke more like to himself than to her.

The overhead lights started flickering and she noticed a blue symbol glowing just behind his left ear. She let out an inaudible gasp when she realized that he was one of them.

“Haeyoon!” she heard Kyungsoo shout. 

Then the lights went off.

She was blinded for a moment and she felt an arm snaked around her waist before the lights went on again. She was now facing the two boys and the pianist was standing behind her with his arm around her.

“Come on now,” he said and she felt his chuckle rumble through his chest as he was pressed against her. “I meant no harm.”

There were flashes of different emotions on both Kyungsoo and Joonmyeon’s faces; it went from worried to confusion before it became recognition and finally realization. Their eyes were wide open and their mouths were slacked.

“What? Still can’t remember me?”

“Baekhyun,” the two other males uttered in unison.

“Long time no see, dear brothers.”


	8. Familiar Strangers

“YOU TRICKED US, you bastard!” Kyungsoo cried as he glared daggers at his brother sitting right beside him.

Baekhyun had a smug smile on his face. “Didn’t you recognize my presence earlier?”

The two other boys were taken aback. Their brother got a point. “Well, in our defense, we panicked and we never expected that there was another Guardian here aside from us,” Joonmyeon reasoned out. “We weren’t able to think thoroughly and we thought that the power and aura we felt was from someone dangerous.”

“That was stupid of you, guys,” Baekhyun scoffed which earned him a mild punch on the stomach with the back of Kyungsoo’s fist

“Ouch!” the owner of Light spirit grimaced. “You never changed, D.O-yah.” 

“Look who’s talking,” Joonmyeon snorted. He was perched on the edge of the stage with Haeyoon sitting beside him. “You’re still full of surprises, Baekhyunnie.”

Baekhyun grinned at his two brothers, his pearly white canines showing. “Well, I’m surprised that we’ve been actually going to the same school for almost four years without crossing each other’s paths.”

Haeyoon smiled to herself as she watched the three boys converse happily with each other. They might be acting casual about it but, heck, it was so obvious that they missed one another and Haeyoon really found them silly, especially Baekhyun. He was, in fact, a bubbly guy, throwing quips every now and then that would make them erupt in laughter. Their whole catching-up moment was lively and Haeyoon was having fun just watching them.

“Well, our school is big,” the Water spirit sorcerer shrugged before he paused for a moment, his brows furrowing. “But now that I think about it, back when I still have my memories and powers sealed, I felt weird sometimes.”

Kyungsoo and Baekhyun raised a brow simultaneously. “Weird?”

“Yeah, though I always ignore it, there was something that kept urging me to go to—,”

Baekhyun cut him off, a smirk playing on his lips. “Music room and auditorium?” Joonmyeon shot him a look, making his smirk grew larger. “That’s my usual hang-out place, bro. And because I’m not sealed like you, you’re being pulled by my presence while I can hardly sense you.”

“Our bond was actually affected by the seal, too?” Kyungsoo asked from his seat on the front row beside Baekhyun.

“Somehow,” Baekhyun nodded. “Based on my observation, it’s kinda like a phone signal, the nearer you are to the main tower and the clearer the area, the stronger it is. But with your case before, the signal is somewhat blocked by the seal so I can only receive little while my signal towards you got no hindrances, it’s stronger that’s why you can sense it better.”

“So you felt my presence before, too?” Joonmyeon asked Baekhyun.

The latter raised his right hand beside his face, his thumb and forefinger pinched together. “Very, very little so I didn’t pay much attention.”

“That’s why I was suddenly drawn towards Suho on my first few days here,” Kyungsoo uttered, “Because Haeyoon lifted his seal around that time.”

“You got that right, Kyunggie,” Baekhyun said. He stood up and walked towards the girl before stopping right in front of her. “And I’m really curious about sunshine here,” He smiled charmingly, planting both of his hands on the stage on either side of her. “How did you do that?”

Haeyoon flushed a pretty shade of pink, a bit uncomfortable with the boy suddenly invading her personal space and as if Joonmyeon can feel that, he pushed his brother away on the forehead. “Stop harassing her, Baek.”

The latter gasped dramatically at his brother’s accusation, “I would never do that to sunshine!” Haeyoon smiled awkwardly upon hearing that endearment for the second time. “She’s the reason why my brothers are back and I’ll be forever grateful for it but I can’t help it, I’m sooo curious.” The boy turned to her again with a tooth-achingly sweet grin, his canine on display, reminding her of a cute puppy. “Really, how did you do that?”

The girl shook her head. “I really don’t have an idea, Baekhyun.”

The boy crossed his arms over his chest and put on a thinking face. “What you did was odd, especially for a human.”

“Maybe it was just coincidence,” she offered.

“But how can you explain the strange pull we feel towards you?” Joonmyeon asked.

“What? You, too?” she blurted, recalling that Kyungsoo told her the same thing.

“Count me in,” Baekhyun chirped. “I felt it, too”

“When ‘Soo told me about what happened on the alley he also told me how he found you and I realized that I’m feeling the same pull so I thought that maybe, just maybe, you’re really not an ordinary human,” the black haired boy explained.

“Are you telling me that I’m not a human?” she was bewildered and surprised that they were actually thinking something like that. “That’s impossible, I’m certain that I have no powers and I’m perfectly human.”

“We’re not saying that you’re not a human,” Kyungsoo butt in, talking in a gentle and calming way. “But it’s a possibility we can’t just take out.”

Haeyoon fell quiet as she pondered over what they said. They are right, everything that was happening lately had been so bizarre and then her parents…they were talking about something that night that gave her a queasy feeling on her stomach. Kyungsoo was right; it was a possibility, no matter how eccentric it is, but she refused to believe it. The idea just didn’t sit right with her. She chose to be closed-minded…

…For now…

“Wait, you lost me when you mentioned the alley,” Baekhyun gave them all a questioning gaze. “What happened?”

Kyungsoo told him that Haeyoon was attacked and, fortunately, he followed her and was able to save her. He also told the boy that that was the time when his seal was lifted.

Baekhyun’s expression became grim. “It was a Tainted One, right?”

“Yeah, I’m sure it was,” Kyungsoo replied, mirroring his brother’s grave look.

“And I’m pretty sure that they were also responsible for the deaths of those young people,” Joonmyeon said.

“But why are they doing that?” Haeyoon asked, the fear she felt was still fresh on her system.

“We don’t know yet, but the fact that they can take human souls like that…” Kyungsoo trailed off, his expression becoming bleaker. “It means that they’re getting stronger.”

The girl shuddered as she recalled her terrifying encounter with the man in cloak. It was about to get her soul that time and she didn’t have any idea. She was really lucky to be saved by Kyungsoo. “W-who are this Tainted Ones, anyway?” she asked in curiosity.

“They were the sorcerers who turned their backs towards Lucere and were lured to take side with Magos in his rebellion. Magos is the most powerful and most intelligent scholar of King Zardus but he got a little ambitious and greedy, you know, like Lucifer the angel.” Baekhyun started explaining. “It was bad enough that he wanted to take over Lucere but he also wanted to have the human world,” he continued and Haeyoon was shocked at what he said. “He started using his powers in evil deeds, gathering sorcerers and turning them into what we now call Tainted Ones. He turned their once good spirits into bad in exchange of stronger but much darker powers. Magos was a smart sorcerer, he secretly created a whole army and when he thought he was ready, he declared a war.” Baekhyun paused and it seemed like he was struggling with his own emotions so Joonmyeon decided to continue where he left off.

“And that was the most gruesome, cruel, and chaotic war that had ever befallen on our world,” he said. “Many innocent had died, families broken, children tortured and Lucere was basically half destroyed before King Zardus was able to seal Magos and bury him in the deepest part of the kingdom. The king and queen died, and Magos’ army retreated but the threat towards the remaining royal blood still exists so we decided to hide them in the human world where the chances of them being found by the Tainted Ones are slim.”

“Why do they still want to kill the Prince and Princess?” Haeyoon can’t help but ask. “They’re just children.”

“But once they were at the right age, where they can use their full potential, they can finish what their father had started,” Joonmyeon told her. “They can end Magos’ for good.”

“So he is not really dead…” Haeyoon spoke, her voice barely above whisper. She can tell by the tense atmosphere that had settled upon them that humans are possibly in great danger now.

Kyungsoo slowly shook his head. “But he’s good as dead…if no one will try to resurrect him.”

A sudden realization clicked in Haeyoon’s mind and she felt like a dead cold hand ran down her spine. “They’re here for the remaining royal blood…”

The three boys looked at her before the same conclusion dawned upon them. “Shit, you’re right,” Baekhyun muttered. “That explains why highschool students are the victims, same age bracket as the Prince and Princess.”

Joonmyeon jumped down from the stage before he started pacing back and forth, his body coiled in fear and anger. “No, no, no, we have to find them first.”

“But where do we start?” Kyungsoo asked, eyes wide and shaking with anxiety.

There was a pause before Baekhyun broke it. “We start here, in this city,” the three looked expectantly at him, urging him to elaborate. “I’m pretty sure there’s a reason why all of the deaths are somewhat centered in this place, right?”

“You mean the Prince and the Princess are around here somewhere?” Haeyoon asked incredulously to which the boy nodded.

“Doing a practically blind search will be hard but it’s better than doing nothing,” Baekhyun said to them. “I just hope that we find the other Guardians soon.”

She bit her lip as she looked at them one by one. “But how are we going to find your brothers?”

The boy cracked a small smile. “By how you find us.”

“But I didn’t find them and lift their seals on purpose,” she pointed out with furrowed brows. “It’s more like…a meeting by chance.”

“Exactly,” he nodded, confusing her and his brothers as well. “I believe that fate is already working its ass off so that we’ll be able to find the others.

“And here I thought you’ve got a good plan,” Kyungsoo grunted as he walked towards the three then smacked Baekhyun on the back of his head. The heavy atmosphere from earlier was slowly being forgotten but still lurking around them. 

“What?” the boy retorted, rubbing the new sore spot his brother gave him. “It’s better than nothing and besides, there are five of us now. More heads the better.”

“Five?” Joonmyeon cocked an eyebrow. “Hate to break it you, bro, but we’re only four here.”

Baekhyun suddenly had this knowing smile on his face. “I’m pretty sure Chanyeol would make us five.”

The two other males gasped, their eyes bulging out of their sockets, mouths agape. “You found Chanyeol?!” They exclaimed in unison.

Haeyoon blinked, finally catching up on what they’re on about. “You found another one of your brothers?”

“Uh-huh,” the boy smiled widely. “I was able to find Chanyeol five years ago. He was not sealed, like the two of you, and he was searching for us, too. We met half way the search and I’m guessing that when we entered the human realm, we ended up on places near to each other.”

Kyungsoo and Joonmyeon broke out into a grateful blissful smile and Haeyoon can tell that they were already itching to meet their other brother. 

Like Baekhyun, she just hoped that they find the others soon before the worst happens.

 

“WANT TO GRAB some icecream first?” Taehyung asked with his signature rectangular grin as he slung an arm around his bestfriend’s shoulder. He was walking Haeyoon home because Yoongi and the others can’t do it due to basketball practice and he’s not about to complain. He was more than willing to do it if it means spending more alone time with her.

The girl grinned back at him, “Sure.”

They went to their favorite icecream parlor that had served as their usual hang-out spot since they were young. It was a fairly big place with big glass windows that allowed sunlight to brighten up the place. The furnishings were all in pastel colors as well as the baby pink painted walls and the sky blue ceiling. The whole place was decorated in a cute way that made it pretty and cozy to the eyes.

“You go order, Tae,” Haeyoon said. “I’ll just go the washroom.”

“Okay!”

When she was done and on the way back to their seat, she bump into someone just as she was rounding the corner towards the main area.

She squeaked and prepared herself for the impact of the floor but it never came, instead, she felt a pair of arms around her waist. Her eyes flew open and she was met by a boy with a very pretty face and sandy hair. He could easily pass as a flower boy and with his soft angelic features; Haeyoon could swear that she could also pass as a girl if only he’d wear a wig and a cute dress.

Someone cleared their throat and that’s when the boy gently, almost reluctantly, released her on her own feet. Her eyes went to the other two boys behind the pretty one and had to literally look up because of their towering height. The one on the left side had a short dirty-blonde hair that was spiked up in a stylish way. He had two piercings on the left ear and one on the other but it didn’t lessen his good-looks, if anything, it made him look more attractive and hot in a kind of ‘bad boy’ way. He had thick angled brows that framed his dark eyes that seemed to bore through her soul. 

The other boy on the right side had a pair of sharp eyes with seemingly natural dark circles underneath each and a beautiful pair of slender lips. His tanned skin was complemented by his dark brown hair. Though he looked intimidating, there was a certain charm on the boy that made him look gorgeous, nonetheless. 

“I-I’m sorry!” she immediately apologized when she had her composure back. “I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

“It’s alright, just be careful next time,” the pretty boy said in a soft voice and Haeyoon can’t help but notice how these three boys were so out of place in the mellow atmosphere of the icecream parlor. Their aura and physical appearances were just so striking that they don’t…fit in the place. Then there’s a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach that she can’t quite figure out.

She gave another awkward bow before walking past them but just as she was about to disappear from their sight, the one with spiky hair called her attention.

“Hey,” his smooth deep voice echoing through the hallway made her look back. “Have we met before?”

Her caramel-brown eyes widened a fraction.

_Yes, that was what she actually felt..._

She shook her head no and muttered, “I don’t think so,” before completely walking away.

_...odd familiarity._

They were total strangers to her but she can’t find it in herself to be scared of them. They felt familiar though their faces were unfamiliar to her. Have they actually met before? But she can’t recall them no matter how hard she tried. Who are they? Why did they felt so strangely familiar? 

She slid back in her seat across Taehyung with her mind still drifting to the three strangers. She didn’t notice the worried look the boy was giving her.

“Hey…” Taehyung trailed off when he saw the troubled look on the girl’s face. He reached a hand towards her forehead, his forefinger gently flattening the soft crease between her eyebrows. “You okay?”

Haeyoon was pulled out of her stupor when she felt Taehyung’s hand and quickly offered a smile to reassure him that everything was fine. “Uh, yeah, I was just..uhm…thinking about our assignment, yeah, it’s kinda hard, don’t you think?”

Taehyung pinched her cheek before retracting his hand and flashing her a crooked grin. “Do you want me to help you?” he asked after swallowing a spoonful of strawberry icecream. “I can drop by your house if you want.”

Haeyoon cracked a smile. “Wow, Kim Taehyung will help me with my assignment,” she feigned amazement. “Won’t it be the other way around?”

“Hey, that was rude! I was just trying to help here, so take it or leave it,” the boy said with an indignant pout, making Haeyoon giggle and soon enough Taehyung was laughing along with her.

“I was just kidding,” she grinned before leaning on the table to ruffle the boy’s already unruly orange hair. “Sure, we can do our assignments together later then maybe you could join us for dinner.”

Taehyung bit his lip, trying to suppress the face-splitting grin that wanted to break out on his handsome face so badly. The girl had no idea how much he was enjoying times like this with every fiber of his being. She had no idea how his young heart would flutter everytime she smiles at him. And she definitely had no idea of what he truly felt for her. But he wouldn’t dare tell her anything about it in fear of changing everything between them for the worst. No, he wouldn’t risk it and have her avoiding him. Maybe in the right time, he would confess, but it’s absolutely not now. For the meantime, he would content himself staying by her side with the mask of a ‘bestfriend’.

“Wait, I’ll think about it,” he said, earning him a look from Haeyoon that bordered between disbelief and disappointed which he found adorable. He paused for a few seconds before continuing, “Okay, if you insist.”

The girl snorted and just shook her head before shoving a spoonful of cookies and cream icecream into her mouth. Her hand froze in mid-air when she saw the three boys again from the corner of her eyes. They were occupying a table a few feet away from them. She tried hard to ignore them by distracting herself with Taehyung’s ramblings but they kept their intense gazes on her, making her uncomfortable. She was almost ready to drag herself and Taehyung out of the place when a female crew went over the three males’ table and gave them three take out boxes. She sighed in relief when they stood up and left the icecream parlor.

_Who are they?_

Was all Haeyoon could think about as she watched their disappearing backs from the glass window. 


	9. Frozen in Time

YOONGI’S EYEBROWS SHOT up when he saw a familiar pair of sneakers on their shoe rack. Kicking his basketball shoes off, he proceeded to their living room where he saw his sister, Jungkook and…

“What is that brat doing here?” he asked aloud when he saw Taehyung’s bright orange hair. The boy was busy scribbling on a sheet of paper. His sister was sitting across the boy, her books and notes sprawled over the coffee table’s surface while Jungkook was sitting cross-legged beside her and reading a book.

Haeyoon looked up from her own notebook when she heard Yoongi’s voice. She beamed at him before answering, “Just finishing some homework together.” Then she started gathering her things. “Since you’re here already, I’ll start preparing dinner.” She stood up and he saw how the two boys followed her with their eyes.

Yoongi can’t help but roll his eyes. He’s beginning to think that his sister would unknowingly break many boys’ hearts.

Carelessly throwing his gym bag on the floor, Yoongi plopped himself on the recliner adjacent to the coffee table. He waited for the two boys to turn their eyes on him before he said, “As a guy myself, I know the meaning behind the look you’re giving my sister.”

Jungkook tilted his head with innocent curiosity while Taehyung choked on his own spit.

‘Bingo,’ the older boy thought. He was just actually fishing around and the reaction his sister’s bestfriend gave was enough for him to know that the boy, indeed, has feelings for her. However, in Jungkook’s case, he can never tell if the boy had something for Haeyoon or not. His naïve reactions always throw Yoongi off the track.

“What look?” Jungkook was the first to ask.

“Y-yeah, what look?” Taehyung echoed, his eyes darting everywhere but Yoongi.

The older boy smirked and shrugged, “I don’t know. Why don’t _you_ tell me?” 

He was really enjoying Taehyung’s uncomfortable look and the way he was squirming under his gaze and he would like to see Jungkook on the same situation but it seemed like the boy don’t even have any idea on what he was trying to imply.

Taehyung’s lips parted to say something but Haeyoon poked her head on the living room’s threshold and said, “Hey, Kookie, mind giving me a hand here?”

The two other boys perked up as Jungkook stood up obediently and made a beeline towards her. “I’m quite offended that you turn to others first before me, Haeyoon,” Yoongi told her, his lower lip jutting out a little.

The girl pretended to think deeply. “Uh, maybe because the first and probably the last time you entered our kitchen, you almost set it on fire while trying to fix yourself peanut butter and jelly sandwich?”

“But that’s—,” Yoongi was cut off when Taehyung let out an obnoxious laugh. He was about to lash out at the younger boy when his sister spoke again, effectively shutting up her bestfriend.

“Laughing at your own mate is a no-no, Kim Taehyung,” she clucked her tongue. “Might I remind you how much of a black hole you are in the kitchen that everything you cook taste like feet?”

Yoongi and Taehyung was both dumbfounded as they stare at the girl with dramatically betrayed faces. “Right, Jungkook is the safest option. He surprisingly knows how to do basic cooking that’s why I’m choosing him.” She grinned at them, obviously having fun at teasing her brother and her bestfriend. “Just so you know, I don’t have any intentions of dying by food poisoning.” With that said, she dragged Jungkook into the kitchen and continued cooking.

“Some sister she is,” Yoongi grumbled as he slumped back on his chair. He glanced at Taehyung and saw the boy glaring at the table. He smirked before leaning over to ruffle his hair. “Don’t let the green-eyed monster show itself, brat.”

Taehyung shot him an embarrassed look before a pink dust settled on his cheeks.

The older boy chuckled before leaning back on the chair. “I’m guessing that Haeyoonie told you about how Jungkook ended up living with us.”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “I’m actually surprised when I first saw him earlier.”

“I’m actually surprised that you handled it well,” Yoongi stated in a meaningful tone before he added, “I bet Jin and the others will be surprised, too,” He can already imagine his friends’ reactions.

“Jimin will probably throw a fit,” the younger boy smirked. “And I bet Namjoon will scrutinize him.”

Yoongi snorted. “But they won’t be able to touch even the tip of Jungkook’s hair, trust me.” Taehyung shot him a questioning look as if asking him to elaborate. “Haeyoon won’t let any of you. She treats him like a younger brother and I’m sometimes surprised and jealous at her protectiveness.” He shook his head before putting his hands behind his head and looking up at the ceiling. “They’re pretty close now.”

“And you’re okay with that?” Taehyung asked.

He shrugged. “Jungkook’s a good guy. You won’t believe how innocent that kid is.”

The orange head chewed on his lips before letting out his next question. “What if…what if he likes Haeyoon more than a friend, more than a sister?”

There was a moment of silence before Yoongi spoke. “Then you better start working your ass to get her attention.” He chuckled. “You’ve got many competition, brat. There are also the boys who usually visit her on the café. Even if I, we, don’t like them, I can see that they are Haeyoonie’s good friends and I don’t have a say in whoever she chooses.” Yoongi paused before letting out a wistful sigh. “I can only support her and make sure that she doesn’t get hurt too much…I can only beat whoever it is that’ll break her heart until he regrets that he was even born.”

Taehyung smiled at Yoongi’s answer, he really loves his sister very much.

 

HAEYOON GATHERED THE empty juice cartons and went out to their backyard. They just finished eating dinner and were already cleaning up. After much persuasion and some well placed threats, she managed to make Yoongi and Taehyung wash the dishes while Jungkook was watching some show on the tv. After all, the latter did help her make dinner, she was just being fair.

When she was done throwing the trash on their proper bin, she turned to get back inside but was stopped by a soft whimpering noise. She peered through the metal bars of their gate and she saw a little brown toy poodle wandering in front of their house. Intrigued, she went out and sat down on the curb. She assumed that the puppy had escaped and got lost on its way home when she saw the pink leash dangling from its collar. A slight frown made its way on her face when she realized how dangerous it is for the puppy to wander out at dark nights like this, it might get run over by a car or something.

“Here little puppy, come here,” she cooed as she cautiously stuck a hand in front of her. The puppy halted a few meters away from her, its short fluffy tail wagging lightly from side to side and its pink little tongue hanging from the side of its mouth. “Come on, cutie, I won’t hurt you,” she cooed again and the puppy just tilted its head at her. A few moments later, the puppy took several wary steps towards her. “That’s right, come closer, little puppy,” she said softly and smiled triumphantly when the small creature carefully nuzzled its snout onto her palm, cold wet nose brushing her skin. She giggled and started petting the cute dog. “Aww, you are so adorable.” Her hands tenderly combed through the puppy’s soft curly fur and its tail wagged excitedly. “You remind me of someone,” she grinned when the image of Kyungsoo’s wolf form crossed her mind. “What’s you name, little one?”

“Jjanggu!” she heard a deep voice calling through the silent street. “Jjanggu, come here buddy!”

She craned her neck to the left side of the road and saw a boy in a black hoodie whipping his head from side too side as if he was searching from something.

“That must be your owner,” she said to the puppy, scratching its ear for the last time before holding onto its leash, getting up and catching the boy’s attention. “Hello, I believe this is your puppy.”

He perked up at the sound of the girl’s voice and his eyes rounded in relief and happiness at the sight of his dog beside her. “Thank goodness you found him.” He jogged down the remaining distance between them with a wide smile on his face.

Now that Haeyoon was able to see the boy up close, she was momentarily stunned by his good looks. He had dark brown eyes framed by thick long lashes, straight proud nose, plump pink lips, sharp jaw and defined chin. He was an undeniably attractive boy and his tanned skin made him look even sexier. The moonlight bouncing off his ash-blonde hair made his locks look almost glowing.

“Uh, yeah,” she shook her head internally when she realized that she was staring at him like an idiot. “But it seemed like your puppy found me.”

She passed him the leash and when their fingers briefly touched each other, a current shot up her hand, making her recoil. She unconsciously rubbed her hand at the back of her denim shorts. “Good thing you found him before he wandered at farther places.”

“Didn’t you feel that?” he asked as he clenched and unclenched his hand.

She stilled for a moment before she said, “I-I did. You see, that kind of happens a lot lately whenever I meet…you know, some people,” she cracked an awkward smile at him as she remembered the times that the same thing happened with Jungkook and Joonmyeon. Then a crazy idea struck her, could it be… No, she immediately brushed the thought away. It would be totally bizarre if The Guardians kept coming her way like this. It would be like she’s attracting them like moths to a lamp. “But it’s nothing to worry about.”

“Oh,” the boy nodded distractedly, still staring at his own hand. He looked up at her after a few seconds with a bright smile that showcased his pearly whites. “I’m Kim Jongin, by the way.” He stuck his hand out and she eyed him warily. “Maybe it’s gone,” he shrugged and shook his hand a little, encouraging her to take it.

“Okay…” she trailed off before gingerly slipping her small hand into his big one. She smiled when she felt nothing but the warmth and softness of his palm. “You’re right. I’m Min Haeyoon.” She pulled her hand away. “I assume you live nearby, yes?”

Jongin nodded. “Several blocks away from here and pass the park.”

“His name’s Jjanggu, right?” she crouched down and the poodle immediately went over her and licked her hand.

“Yes,” Jongin answered as he observed the girl play with his dog. He wasn’t the type to get easily attracted to someone but the moment he laid his eyes on Haeyoon, he started to get a weird feeling on his chest. He always took a lot of time to warm-up towards someone that’s why it surprised him when he easily felt at ease around the girl, like he had known her for a long time now though he was sure that it’s the first time he met such a beautiful girl. “He likes you.”

Haeyoon peered up at him through her long lashes and smiled, “I like him, too.” She ruffled Jjanggu’s fur. “He’s so adorable and fluffy!”

They both laugh when the puppy let out a small high-pitched bark.

“He loves compliments,” Jongin chuckled, his eyes turning into crescents.

“Haeyoon.”

They both whipped their heads to the source of the voice and saw Yoongi, Taehyung and Jungkook standing in front of the gate. Haeyoon smiled at them before standing up and started introducing them to each other, thus, missing the guarded look on Yoongi and Taehyung’s faces. Jungkook remained silent but his eyes were flickering with curiosity because he suddenly felt like the guy was familiar.

“Jongin, this is my brother, Yoongi,” she gestured at the browned-haired boy. “My bestfriend, Taehyung,” she pointed at the other boy. “And our dear friend and neighbor, Jungkook,” she finished off with a bright smile. “Guys, this is Jongin, our neighbor.”

“You’re new here?” Yoongi asked. “I’ve never seen you before.”

“We moved here a month ago,” the boy answered as he tried to ignore the tensed vibe that the orange-haired boy was radiating. He looked at Haeyoon and can’t help but smile at her bubbly aura. As much as he wanted to stay and talk to her more, he deemed it not a good idea with the three boys observing them with watchful eyes. “I guess I’ll be going now, Haeyoon.”

“Oh, okay, be careful,” she smiled back at him. 

“Thanks. See you around, then.”

“Don’t let Jjanggu escape again,” she playfully reminded him.

“I won’t,” he chuckled before waving goodbye and walking down the street, his puppy trotting happily along side him.

The moment Jongin was out of sight, Haeyoon heard her brother sigh. “What?” she raised an eyebrow at him.

However, instead of answering her, he turned to Taehyung and gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. “Tough luck, brat, tough luck.”

Haeyoon stared questioningly at Yoongi who went back inside while dragging Jungkook with him along the way.

“So, uhm, I better get going now,” she heard her bestfriend mutter and she turned to him.

“Sure, yeah, be careful on you way home,” she told him. “Send me a message if you get back home safely, it’s late already.”

Taehyung secretly smiled to himself as he heard a note of worry in her tone. His heart flutters everytime she shows her concern for him. “I’ll be fine. I’ll beep you as soon as I’m home.”

“Okay, bye—,”

The girl was cut off when Taehyung gently pulled her towards him before planting a chaste kiss on her forehead.

“Goodnight,” he murmured into her ear. He walked away without even waiting for her reply, thus, missing the way her lips curved up into a beautiful smile.

 

THE TEACHER WAS discussing the parts of a cell and Haeyoon was scribbling important notes every now and then. She was one of the diligent students who wouldn’t even dare to nod away in between lessons just like her seatmate.

“Taehyunggie,” she hissed as she nudged her bestfriend awake. The boy looked almost comical as he sat up straight and looked around him in alarm that the teacher had caught him sleeping in her class. Haeyoon giggled behind her hand as the boy shot her a glare.

The discussion went on for about another fifteen minutes before everything became still and dead silent. Haeyoon slowly looked around her in sudden apprehension and bewilderment, taking in the sight of everyone that seemed to freeze over.

It was like looking at a paused movie.

Her teacher’s hand was suspended mid-air as she was about to write something on the white board. Shinhye was stuck in the middle of turning a page of her book while Gaeun’s hand was frozen through her long hair. Taehyung had a bored look on his face, his elbow propped on the desk while his hand was supporting his chin and he was unmoving as well as her other classmates. Even the flying bee outside the window was hung in mid-air, too.

Everything stopped and was still like a statue…

…Except for her.

“What in the world is happening?” she asked herself as fear run through her veins, her heart pumping away in her chest. Her hand started to turn clammy and goose-bumps won’t seem to leave her skin but she forced herself to think clearly. She tried to rub her eyes and blink them several times but she knew she wasn’t dreaming.

Something is definitely happening.

The girl forced herself to get up though her knees were quite shaking. She didn’t know where to go but something is urging her to get outside.

It was so weird seeing everything and everyone like some sort of stationary displays. It made her stomach turn in a very unpleasant way and the deafening silence was frightening her. But despite the creepy situation, Haeyoon’s senses were very much alert, thanks to her fear. Her ears picked up the slightest sound of something squeaking, just like how Yoongi’s rubber shoes would sound against the shiny floor of the gym. She started walking into the direction of the sound and she soon broke out into a full sprint before she collided on something with a harsh impact the moment she turned into a corner.

“Ouch!” she yelped when her butt landed on the hard polished floor.

“Shit, sorry, sunshine!” she snapped her eyes open when she heard Baekhyun. “I didn’t see you there.”

“Oh my god!” the relief she felt was so great that tears pricked the back of her eyes. “Baekhyun!” She jumped onto her feet and launched her self at him on impulse.

“Easy there, sunshine,” the boy chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her petite waist protectively. “You missed me that much, huh.”

She felt herself calming down and her heart was returning to its usual pace but the fear was still there. She wanted to know what’s really going on.

“W-what’s going on?” she asked as she pulled away from the boy, breathing in a few shuddering breaths.

Baekyun pursed his lips. “I’m not really sure but I know only one person who can do this. However, we still can’t be at ease.”

“What do you mean?”

“Let’s find Suho and D.O first,” Baekhyun said but before they could even move, they saw the two running towards them.

“Thank goodness you found her,” Kyungsoo sighed in relief as he ran his eyes over her petite frame.

“Are you okay?” Joonmyeon asked Haeyoon but Baekhyun was the one who answered for her.

“Well, she’s a bit shaken up but she’s fine.”

“Good,” the president nodded before turning to his brothers. “You felt them, too?”

“Yeah, but I can’t understand why he was doing this,” Kyungsoo frowned. “Are they perhaps changed or something?”

“You mean they became Tainted Ones?” Baekhyun said incredulously. “That’s ridicoulous!”

“Arguing is pointless,” Joonmyeon said in an authoritative voice. “We should just see for ourselves, they’re here anyway.”

Haeyoon looked at each of them warily. “W-who’s here?”

The three exchanged glances before Baekhyun took a hold of her shaking hand. 

“You’ll see.”

 

* * *

 


	10. Unusual Greeting

HAEYOON FOUND HERSELF in the middle of their school’s soccer field. 

Standing on her right was Baekhyun, who was still holding onto her hand while on her left was Kyungsoo who seemed to have his eyes wider than usual. Right in front of her was Joonmyeon whose face she can’t see but his rigid back and shoulders told her that he wasn’t happy with their current situation at all.

The wind blew past them, making several grass blades float in the air and trees rustle with the breeze. There was nothing but tensed silence between them and the group of three familiar boys.

They were still as striking as the first time she met them at the icecream parlor but the smug faces they wore rouse a negative feeling in Haeyoon. She was undeniably confused and anxious with whatever it is that’s going on and the lack of knowledge made it worst. 

Who are these guys? Why are they here? Do they know each other?

These are the questions that she voiced earlier and was still asking herself in her mind but none of them answered her. Ever since they stepped into the open field, no one spoke a word. Haeyoon felt like the six males were communicating through their piercing gazes and she can’t obviously understand a thing but Baekhyun’s tight grip on her hand made her assume that something not so good is going to happen.

A shiver ran down her spine when she caught the gaze of the boy with sharp eyes and slightly tanned skin. There was something in his stare that she can’t quite figure out, making her unconsciously scoot closer to Baekhyun.

“Joonmyeon,” a deep booming voice broke the silence. It was the tall boy with spiky dirty-blonde hair. His lips were set in an amused smile, his eyes bright and alert as if he’s enjoying the moment. “It been a while, don’t you think?”

The boy didn’t reply and before Haeyoon could take another deep breath, the boy who spoke to Joonmyeon was suddenly engulfed in a blinding light. It was gone as soon as it came and to her shock and amazement, an enormous twenty-foot winged-dragon turned up on his place.

The beast was breathtaking. Haeyoon couldn’t believe her eyes as the dragon spread its fifteen-foot wings span on either side. It was the sort of creature that she only saw in movies and fairytale books. She once thought that she would be really scared if she saw a dragon in real life but now that it was standing in front of her in all its glory, she couldn’t help but think of how magically enchanting it is. It had a pair of icy blue eyes, huge head, long snout, lean elegant neck, and shiny grayish-cerulean scales that covered the tip of its snout up to the tip of its ten-foot tail.

From then on, everything went by so fast. Kyungsoo transformed into a giant ten-foot lion and she had no time to admire its beauty because it sprinted towards the dragon in the speed of lightning. But her jaw dropped when she saw the difference in size and she was certain that the lion had no match with the dragon.

Haeyoon’s eyes were momentarily torn from the two beasts when Joonmyeon took off and ran towards the boy with a pretty face. She watched in a mixture of horror and amazement when the boy’s water attacks were easily deflected by the other. His attempts were just being hauled back at him in the exact same manner as if he was fighting with himself in front of a mirror.

Amidst the two on going fights, the third boy was just simply standing off to the side with an amused expression as he watched the unfolding scene in front of them.

When Haeyoon noticed that her two friends were clearly at a disadvantage, she started panicking. She looked up at Baekhyun, and to her surprise, he was wearing the same amused look. Her brows furrowed and she was completely perplexed.

“Baekhyun?” she whispered, disbelief lacing her tone. “W-why are you not helping them?”

The boy smirked at the scene, “Let them be, they can handle that.”

The girl’s eyes widened and she noticed the change in his demeanor. He was no longer antsy and he was more like enjoying what was happening.

“What are you saying?!” she snapped. Here he was looking like he was just watching a freaking fantasy action movie while Joonmyeon and Kyungsoo were getting their asses killed. “Are you insane?! They might die!” She was heaving, her heart throbbing inside her chest as she tried to yank her hand away from him. “Let me go! If you’re not going to help them then I will.”

The boy tightened his grip at her but he still made sure that he wasn’t hurting the girl. “No, you’re only going to hurt yourself,” he said as he looked into her eyes. “They are still one of us, sunshine, don’t worry.”

She was taken aback. “What—are they your brothers?”

Baekhyun nodded, turning his attention back to the fight. “Yeah, though for a moment, I thought they turned against us, but I was wrong.”

“Then why are they doing that?” she cried incredulously. “No sane person would attack their own brothers!”

“Let’s just say that it was their own twisted way of greeting their long lost brothers,” he said with an easy smile on his handsome face.

Haeyoon willed herself to calm down as she turned back towards the ongoing fight in front of them. Looking more closely at it, she took note that they were not seriously hurting each other. Although the dragon was firing blue flames at the lion, she can see that it wasn’t aiming directly and even Joonmyeon’s water attacks were not that strong and aggressive.

“But still…” she whimpered worriedly. She was still very much concerned that they might accidentally injure each other.

A gasp escaped her when the lion managed to clamp down on the dragon’s neck and her eyes widened when the latter easily shook the feline off, throwing it on the grass with a loud thud. The lion landed in a heap before it transformed back to its human form. The dragon mirrored its action and the tall guy came towering over Kyungsoo’s sitting form.

“You still have more ways to go, D.O,” he smirked, shoulders squared in dominance, as he offered a hand to his brother. Kyungsoo accepted it with a smirk of his own and he was hauled back to his feet.

“Since when did I win over you when you’re in that form, Kris?” Kyungsoo asked and it was a rhetorical question.

Haeyoon looked on the other side of the field and saw that Joonmyeon and the other boy weren’t fighting anymore; instead, they were sitting on the grass and were both panting and soaked.

“I knew this was a bad idea!” the pretty boy erupted in a whiny voice. “Sparring with you and Chanyeol always result in me ruining my clothes.”

Joonmyeon let out a rich laugh. “Don’t be such a baby, Luhan.” He ran his hand through his wet hair as he released a contented sigh. “It’s been a long time since I last used my powers like that.”

“Same here,” Luhan chuckled, collapsing on the soft grass in exhaustion.

All the girl could do was blink stupidly on the sudden turning of tables. One moment they looked like they were about to kill each other and the next they were chatting happily as if it was nothing.

“So…” she trailed off, catching the boys’ attention. “Let me just get this straight.” She took a deep breath. “Those three guys are your brothers and they are not some kind of enemies, am I right?”

Baekhyun nodded enthusiastically at her. “We were just rattled at first but then we realized that they are still our brothers when we saw them.”

“And what made you think otherwise?” Haeyoon raised a brow.

“Well, Tao there was using his powers and it quite surprised us and made us think that it was an attack—which was clearly not,” he replied and the girl pinned her gaze to the one he called ‘Tao’.

“I have the power to manipulate time,” the boy grinned sheepishly at her and she noticed how his intimidating aura slowly dissipating.

It clicked in her that the reason why everything stopped like a paused movie was because of Tao’s doing.

“You could’ve done a much simpler way to grab our attention, you know,” Joonmyeon commented.

“Where’s the thrill and surprise in that?” Kris snorted.

“And besides, this was a manly way to do things,” Luhan piped up with a grin, “With a fight, right? Like the usual.”

“You and your grand entrance,” Kyungsoo shook his head as he made his way towards Haeyoon and Baekhyun. 

“Do you have any idea how much it scared me?!” Haeyoon snapped and forcefully pulled her hand away from Baekhyun before giving him a series of punches and slaps on the arm which didn’t really hurt him. “I would never understand how men brain work! Ugh!” She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest petulantly. “Fighting? Really? Greeting each other is equivalent to fighting?! I can’t believe you!”

The boys were stunned for a moment by her outburst before they all chortled.

“She’s cute,” Kris said to Joonmyeon. “Who’s she?”

“She’s the girl we met on the icecream shop, right?” Tao recalled as he sauntered over his brothers. “What’s her name?”

“How come she wasn’t affected by Tao’s power?” Luhan got back up and cocked his head, curiosity written all over his pretty face.

“She’s Haeyoon,” Joonmyeon replied with a fond smile on his face as he watched her complain to his two other brothers. “I don’t know why she wasn’t affected by Tao’s power but I’m sure that she was a special girl. After all, she managed to lift the seal on me and D.O.”

“She did?” Tao was amazed and he turned to stare at her.

Kris looked at Haeyoon, too, and said, “She might help us find the others and lift the seals as well.”

“That’s the plan but she didn’t exactly know how she did it,” said Joonmyeon. “It was more like…unintentional…accidental.” Then he paused. “She’s a human, by the way.”

“She’s a human?” Tao blurted. It was a real mystery on how she wasn’t affected by his power.

“Why do I feel like she’s familiar to me?” Kris asked no one in particular but it made Joonmyeon perk up.

“You felt it, too?” he asked eagerly. “The familiarity? The pull?”

The three snapped their head towards him with wide eyes. “How’d you know?” Luhan was the one who asked. “When we first saw her I was perturbed by the fact that I was feeling a pull towards her…the same pull that we had because of the bond…and I thought I was the only one feeling that way towards her…”

“I take it that we all feel the pull towards the girl,” Kris muttered in confusion.

Tao’s eyebrows pinched, tilting his head innocently to the side. The four of them were all staring at Haeyoon who was slowly getting a grip of the whole situation but was still having a heated argument with Baekhyun and Kyungsoo about how a guy’s mind work. “Do you also feel the weird urge to…protect her?”

“Uh-huh, and be with her…” Luhan nodded in a daze. He won’t deny the fact that ever since he saw Haeyoon on the icecream place, he can’t forget about her angelic face.

“Look at them,” Haeyoon said to Kyungsoo as she pointed at the four males several meters away from them. “Are they just going to stand and sit there all day like some, I don’t know, idiots?” It was obvious in her tone that she was still annoyed with what happened and the two boys with her can’t help but smile in amusement.

“Hey, guys! Let’s talk somewhere else,” Baekhyun hollered and motioned from them to come over.

“Let’s take this to the student council room,” Joonmyeon suggested as he got up from the grass along with Luhan. “We need to change out of these wet clothes as well.”

Luhan groaned and ranted again about how his outfit was all messed-up because of Kris’ stupid idea of surprising their brothers.

 

“WE WERE IN China when we heard the news of the serial killing and the weird deaths of the victims in this place,” Kris explained as he was perched on Joonmyeon’s desk. Haeyoon learned that they found each other in China fifteen years ago. They are not sealed and they felt each others presence but took them quite a long time to actually locate each other.

“We immediately suspected that it was not a human’s doing so we flew all the way from China to here,” Luhan continued. He was sitting on a chair near the window. “At first, we just wanted to check out what’s really happening but then we felt your presence, guys.”

“Yeah, and we saw Haeyoon on the day we arrived,” Tao added as he leaned against the wall. “It began to get odder for us so we decided to follow her today and we realized that your presence got even stronger when we neared the school.”

“And since you didn’t know who among us are here, you pulled that stunt to make us come out,” Joonmyeon concluded.

“Hey, it was Kris’ idea, not mine!” Tao defended himself.

“No offense but you, guys, are weird,” Haeyoon commented from her seat between Kyungsoo and Baekhyun. “And a bit stalker-ish.” Then she cautiously turned her head to Luhan who was then looking intently at her like he was trying to bore holes through her skull. “Why are you…staring at me that way?”

With eyebrows furrowed in deep concentration, he said, “I’m…trying to…”

“Luhan?” Kris called his brother with uncertainty.

After a few more moments of intense staring he gave up and leaned back on the chair. “Why aren’t you affected?”

“What?” the girl cocked her head to the side.

“Wait, are you trying your powers on her?” Joonmyeon asked.

“Yes, but it wasn’t working at all!” the pretty boy exclaimed and he seemed more astounded than frustrated that his power wasn’t working at all.

Haeyoon turned to Baekhyun, grabbing on his arm. “What was he trying to do?”

“He’s trying to control your mind,” he answered. “You see, he controls the mind spirit and everything related in mind. He can control objects with his mind and can also manipulate other’s mind.” Baekhyun continued explaining. “He can even control us if he wanted.”

“Then…why is she not affected?” Tao asked in bewilderment.

“I told you, she’s special,” Joonmyeon remarked, making the girl blush.

“Yeah, she is,” Luhan murmured. He was still deeply mystified by Haeyoon because he had never met anyone who was unaffected by his power except for the _Saperians,_  the royal blood line, who created them Guardians.

But how was it possible for a human to resist his mind control?

“Wow…” Haeyoon was in awe. “That was amazing…and creepy at the same time.”

“We’re deeply sorry for scaring you earlier, Haeyoon,” Kris sincerely apologized in his deep voice.

The girl cracked a sheepish smile. “It’s okay; I’m just a little shock is all. I’m glad that you are finally able to reunite with your brothers again.”

Kris gratefully smiled back at her before turning to Joonmyeon. “So, any info about the murders happening around your city?”

The boy’s face hardened. “We are certain that it was a Tainted One,” he said and it wasn’t much of a shock for the three since they had already predicted that much.

“I had a first-hand encounter with it when it tried to attack Haeyoonie,” Kyungsoo’s face darkened at the memory. Kris, Luhan, and Tao turned at the girl with worried faces. “And it was also the time when my seal was lifted.”

“Why do you think are they here?” Luhan inquired as he leaned his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands together. “And sucking up human souls?”

“We had an assumption and maybe a plausible one,” Baekhyun answered. 

“And that is?”

“They are here to search for the remaining Royal Blood, the remaining Saperians” he told them in a grim tone and his three brothers can’t hide the shock in their faces.

“You mean the Prince and the Princess?” Tao asked breathlessly. “They are here?!”

“It’s highly possible,” this time, it was Haeyoon who spoke. “Baek’s right, the killings won’t be kind of centered in this place for nothing.”

Kris nodded solemnly. “You’re right; and we need to find them as soon as possible.”

“Yeah, before the dark side gets a hold of them,” Joonmyeon agreed.

“And any more innocent human dies…” Haeyoon whispered but they all caught it. She was all the more willing to help The Guardians find their other brothers and their Prince and Princess now that her own kinds are being harmed as well.

“Don’t worry, sunshine,” Baekhyun wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder. “We won’t let anymore people be harmed. After all, there are seven of us now; we just need to find the other five before we’re complete.”

“Speaking of that, you still have yet to bring us to Chanyeol,” Kyungsoo reminded.

“Oh yeah, I kind of forgot, I’ve been busy with the ‘student’ part of my life,” he smiled sheepishly at them. “Anyway, you, guys, can stay at the dorm where I and Channie are staying, it’s big enough to accommodate all of us.” Then he turned to Joonmyeon and Kyungsoo. “You can come along later if you want to see Chanyeol.”

“You want to come with us, too, Haeyoonie?” Joonmyeon asked the girl with a charming smile. “I’m sure Chanyeol would love to meet you.”

“I guess,” she shrugged with a cute smile.

“Great! This is so great!” Tao exclaimed, grinning like he was just barely containing his excitement and Haeyoon found it really cute. She can’t believe that she got intimidated by his cold and aloof outward appearance when in fact; the boy was such a big sweetheart. “Today is a very happy day, after all those years, I was finally able to see my other brothers!”

His brothers had soft warm smiles on their faces.

“We’re happy, too, Tao,” Kyungsoo told him honestly and Haeyoon can see on their faces how much they missed each other.

“I hate to ruin this moment, dear brothers, but I think we’re forgetting something…” Baekhyun trailed off as he shot Tao a look.

The boy blinked back at him innocently before he realized what his brother was talking about. “Oh shit.”

Yes, they forgot that the whole school was still in pause.

 


	11. Street Commotion

“SHE NEEDS TO be home at exactly six, Joonmyeon,” Yoongi told the young man as he gave him a long hard stare. It wasn’t on purpose but his voice came out stern as well. No one could blame him though; it’s his sister they were talking about and entrusting her to a friend is still a little hard.

“Don’t worry, I’ll bring her home safe and sound,” Joonmyeon nodded his head with a reassuring smile.

“I’ll be fine, Yoongi,” Haeyoon followed up with a cute smile of her own. Another reason why he let her go with Joonmyeon was her unintentional adorable way of convincing, there’s no way in hell that he can resist that. He was always such a goner when it comes to his sister. “I’ll be home just in time to cook dinner. I can’t let you kill both yourself and Kookie with your cooking skills.”

Yoongi cracked a smile. “Yeah right.” He reached out to ruffle her soft hair. “Go now before I change my mind.”

“Bye, good luck with practice!” she grinned and waved at him before walking away with Joonmyeon.

He entered the gym and was greeted with the five scowling faces of his friends. Jimin, Hoseok and Namjoon were also part of the school’s varsity to which he was the captain. Taehyung and Seokjin were there in the gym because they were supposed to be walking his sister home.

“I can’t believe you let babydoll go,” Jimin huffed and sulked like a five –year old kid.

“What can I do?” he retorted, walking over to the benches. There were just a few minutes before practice starts. “He needs her ideas for the upcoming school fest.”

“I could’ve come with her,” Seokjin piped up with a small pout, “But you didn’t let me.”

“You’re not needed there, Jin,” he shook his head. “After all, it’s Joonmyeon we’re talking about. He’s a good guy.”

He felt someone nudged his side and turned to see Namjoon. “Look at the boy,” he said and pointed at Taehyung who sat two benches away from them with a deep frown. “You broke his heart.”

Yoongi snorted, an amused smile playing on his lips. “It’s his battle not mine.”

“Well, I think it’s not just his heart,” the boy had a knowing grin on his own face. “Look at Jimin; he looks like he’s ready to throw a tantrum.”

The captain craned his neck and saw a seemingly pissed Jimin dribbling the ball a little too hard with Hoseok laughing at his side.

“Now I have nothing nice to do,” Seokjin plopped on Yoongi’s other side. Apparently, he’s not yet done whining. “And you’re the one to blame.”

He rolled his eyes before turning to his other friend, “Are we going to make that three hearts, Namjoon?”

The blonde let out a chortle. “Perhaps you have to make that four,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. “You know how much I adore Haeyoonie.”

It took a moment before the implied meaning of the boy’s statement sank on Yoongi. The shocked face he made was so priceless it made Namjoon laugh out loud. “No shit, Namjoon!”

“Kidding, dude!” the boy raised both hands in the air as if he’s being arrested. He was still cackling in amusement. “I’m just kidding! You should’ve seen your face!”

“Fuck you!” the captain smacked his teammate on the head. “You got me there, you freak!”

Namjoon continued chortling. “Oh, trust me; I love Haeyoonie just like how you love her.”

“What are you two talking about?” Seokjin butted in, shooting his friends a weird look.

“Nothing,” Yoongi shrugged before he stood up and hollered, “Okay, warm-up time’s over!”

Seokjin turned to the blonde who was coming down from his laughing spree. “What was that about?”

“Nah, were just talking about how much you like Haeyoon,” he told him before getting up from the bench as well.

“W-what?” Seokjin sputtered, his face turning ten-shades of red.

 

“I FEEL SO GUILTY,” Haeyoon mumbled as they were walking down the streets towards Baekhyun’s dorm together with the other Guardians.

Joonmyeon, who was walking beside her, ruffled her hair affectionately. “Hey, it wasn’t a lie at all because I really need to talk to you about your idea for the fest. It’s the best fund-raising activity suggestion so far.”

Haeyoon bit her lip as she still felt a little bad for not telling Yoongi that they were going to Baekhyun’s dorm, to a Guardian’s dorm. But she deemed it a wise decision. Something’s telling her that it’s not yet the right time to tell her brother about the Guardians and the other supernatural things that she had learned these fast few days.

“Cheer up, sunshine,” Baekyun chirped from her other side. “You’re going to meet our brother and I’m sure you’re going to like that happy virus.”

A small smile made its way on her lips seeing how lively the brothers are. Tao was talking nonstop about their adventures in China eliciting laugh from them everytime.

“—and there was a time when I made Kris stay outside the bathroom as I take a bath because I was so scared.”

The group erupted in laughter again at how childish Tao was while Kris groaned at the memory. “That is the last time I’m doing that for you, Tao.”

The group stopped in front of a pedestrian lane along with a few number of people and waited for the traffic light to turn red. Every one was busy talking amongst themselves and no one noticed the little boy who suddenly went after his ball that rolled to the street…except for Haeyoon.

Her eyes widened in shock and fear clawed in her chest when she saw a speeding car that was headed towards the child.

Everything happened so fast.

In a heartbeat, Haeyoon made a mad dash in an attempt to save the kid but the car was going really fast and she knew that it will hit them no matter how fast she haul them both to safety. 

She won’t make it on time. 

With the few seconds she had, all she could do was to hug the child tightly to her chest and twist her body in a way that the vehicle will hit her back first instead of the child. In that way, the chances of the little boy being unharmed was high.

... _Five seconds_ …

She shut her eyes tight and gritted her teeth, bracing herself for the impending impact. In those few breath-stopping seconds, all she could hear was her heart crazily throbbing in her ears.

… _Three seconds..._  

She didn’t hear the desperate horrified screams of her friends and the people. She didn’t see how the Guardians’ faces crumpled into mixed emotions of shock, horror, regret and desperation.

… _Two Seconds..._

She didn’t see nor hear how their heartbreak.

… _One..._

Silence.

A soothing voice was the first thing she heard and for a moment, she thought that she died a painless death. But what it said made her realize that she was still alive. 

“You can open you eyes now. You’re safe.”

The child’s loud frightened cry was what she heard next as her eyes fluttered open. She was still utterly bewildered and frozen in her place—in the arms of her savior—and she could barely register the things going on around her. They sat on the other side of the road, unscathed. 

The boy struggled in her arms and broke free to run towards a middle aged woman who had tears in her eyes. She looked so shocked but happy and relieved, nevertheless.

“Oh my god,” she was breathless as she held her child dearly to her chest. “Thank you so much for saving my child.”

The other Guardians came running towards them.

“Haeyoon!” Kyungsoo was the first to reach them and he immediately pulled the dazed girl into his protective embrace, not paying any attention to the guy previously holding her. The last few terrifying moments fleeted in his mind and his heart clenched in the most painful way. He don’t want to know what he would’ve felt if that car was able to hit the girl. “Thank goodness, you’re safe.”

The Guardians had a look of utter relief on their faces, their focuses trained solely to the girl in Kyungsoo’s arms.

“I knew we would meet again,” the boy who saved Haeyoon spoke, catching the attention of the Guardians. “But I didn’t expect it to be this way.”

They looked up and got a good look on the person and their eyes almost bulge out of their sockets.

That familiar smirk and eyes.

“Kai.”

 

TO SAY THAT they were surprised at the sudden turn of events was an understatement. The appearance of Luhan, Kris and Tao was a total shock itself but Kai’s unexpected show was another story and it threw them over the edge. After their small heartfelt moment of reunion, they proceeded to Baekhyun’s dorm.

“I have a feeling that whenever my life would be in danger, a Guardian will appear,” Haeyoon remarked from her seat on the plush couch. She had recovered from her yet again near-death experience and learned that Kim Jongin whose real name was Kai had been the one to save her. He used his power to teleport them to safety just in the nick of time. The boy was also unfortunately sealed just like Kyungsoo and Joonmyeon. “And I’m not exactly sure what to feel about that.”

“We were lucky Kai was there to save you on time,” Kyungsoo, who was sitting beside her, said. He suddenly had this strange urge to stay close to the girl after what happened.

“It was a really weird feeling, you know,” Jongin mused as he leaned back on the wooden chair he’s sitting at. “I had this sudden need to take a walk and that’s when I saw Haeyoon ran towards the streets and it felt like everything went in slow motion for me as my memories came back. I didn’t even think and before I knew it, I was saving her.” He paused. “It’s…like an instinct.”

All at the same time, the other Guardians in the room thought of their feelings for the girl and they realized that the pull is only getting stronger. They can’t explain the raw fear and helplessness they felt when they saw her in danger and the extreme relief and happiness that washed over them when she was saved. They had only known her for quite a while now but they felt like they had known her since forever.

Haeyoon smiled a heartfelt smile to Jongin. “Thank you, really.” She turned to Joonmeyon and Kyungsoo. “You, guys, keep on saving my life.”

The three boys bashfully smiled back at her.

“You told us earlier that you already met, right?” Baekhyun asked Jongin and Haeyoon and they nodded at him. “Hmm, it seemed like fate to me.”

“Honestly, I really thought that Jongin might be a Guardian when I first met him but I dismissed the thought…” she looked at the boy with mirth in her eyes, “Only to find out that I was right all along.”

“What we felt when we shook hands was anything but nothing,” the boy shot her a knowing smile while the other Guardians could only look at them with curious faces.  

“So, it’s really true that Haeyoonie was the reason why the seals were lifted,” Tao commented as he was perched on the window sill.

“It’s still a mystery to me but yes, it’s true,” Joonmyeon replied. “It already happened three times and it was enough proof that it wasn’t just mere coincidence.”

“Wait, guys,” Haeyoon piped up, making them all turn to her. “It’s been bothering me since we got here but what about the people who saw Jongin using his magic?”

“Oh, that,” Kris was the one who spoke. “I made Tao stop the time right when you were safe and Luhan messed with their minds a little, making them forget what they saw.”

The girl nodded in relief and understanding before an endearing warm smile spread on her beautiful face. “There are only four of your brothers left before you’re all reunited once again. I’m really happy for all of you.”

“We couldn’t have done it without you,” Luhan’s lips curved into a soft smile. Even if it was just a while since he met Haeyoon, he already had this unexplainable attachment to her. “You brought back my brothers.”

“Speaking of brothers…” Jongin trailed off as he threw a look at the door. “When is that Chanyeol coming back?”

“His shift on the coffee shop must be over now,” Baekhyun said from his comfortable place on the beanbag. “So, I think he will be here—,”

The loud slamming of the door startled them.

“Ayo, Baekhyun!” a deep booming voice echoed through the house. “I’m home!”

“—now.”

Haeyoon craned her neck and saw a very tall boy with platinum-blonde tousled hair. Just like his other brothers, he had the looks to die for; gorgeous eyes, straight nose, smooth skin, and a striking smile. Yes, his smile was what got Haeyoon most; he looked like someone who came out straight from a toothpaste commercial. He’s got a really bright smile and the girl found herself shamelessly staring at the boy.

“Whoa,” Chanyeol’s smile faded as he halted in the living room’s threshold. His eyes blinked rapidly when he realized that there were people staring back at him. Baekhyun did tell him that he met D.O and Suho but he didn’t tell him that he would bring them today and their other four brothers as well. He was beyond astonished and glad when he saw his long lost brothers but what caught his attention the most was the girl sitting between D.O and Joonmyeon.

Her caramel-brown orbs felt like they were staring deep into his soul and he was mesmerized by them. His breath hitched in his throat when he felt a zap went through his body, leaving pleasant warmth on its wake. He felt an odd sense of contentment and familiarity as he stared back at the beautiful girl. He started wondering if he had seen her before but his thoughts were rudely interrupted when someone tackled him.

“Chanyeol!” Jongin exclaimed as he engulfed the tall boy in a fierce hug. “Damn, bro, you’ve gotten taller!”

His other brothers said their greetings, too, but his attention was still on the girl.

“You okay, Chan?” Baekhyun asked when he saw the bewildered look on the guy’s face.

“Who’s she?” he asked no one in particular.

D.O was the one who answered him with his heart-shaped smile. “This is Haeyoon. She’s the one who lifted the seal from us.”

If there’s one thing Chanyeol was proud of, aside from his height and pearly white smile, it was his sharp memory. But the name ‘Haeyoon’ didn’t ring any bell and he got more confused.

When his brothers released him, he took a few steps towards her. “Have we met before?” he asked Haeyoon.

“I…don’t think so,” she replied and her sweet voice made his fire spirit burn even brighter deep inside him.

“It’s a strange feeling at first,” Joonmyeon spoke. “But you’ll get used to it.”

Chanyeol shot his brother a confused look, prompting him to elaborate.

“We’re also feeling what you’re feeling right now,” this time, Kyungsoo was the one who explained. “The familiarity…and the pull.”

He nodded absentmindedly, eyes never leaving Haeyoon’s pretty face.

“So…what is your…power?” the girl wanted to know.

“Fire,” he uttered, fighting the urge to walk over to her, touch her and feel if the pleasant feeling would grow stronger. “I control the fire spirit.”

Haeyoon’s eyes twinkled in delight and Chanyeol’s heart stuttered. “Wow, that was even cooler than Baekhyun’s light spirit.” 

It was a thoughtless harmless comment but it made Baekhyun frown and Chanyeol grin. The rest of their brothers just laughed in amusement.

“Ouch, sunshine,” Baekhyun’s lower lip jutted out, sulking like a kid denied of his favorite lollipop. “I’m hurt that you prefer that giraffe over me now.”

Haeyoon realized what she said and she turned a pretty shade of crimson. “N-no—I mean, it’s just, I d-didn’t mean it t-that way!”

The boy shook his head petulantly. “I’m still hurt. Now, you have to kiss me to make the pain go away.”

The girl turned a brighter shade of red and before Baekhyun knew it, four pillows flew and smacked him square in the face courtesy of Joonmyeon, Kyungsoo, Chanyeol and Jongin.

 

HAEYOON WATCHED IN amusement as Chanyeol cut the vegetables in an expert manner. They were preparing an early dinner and surprisingly, Chanyeol and Kyungsoo knew how to cook. 

“Wow,” the girl said in awe as she leaned against the kitchen counter. “You’re like a professional chef.”

The tall boy chuckled as he sneaked a glance at the girl. He was right, having her so near him felt so nice that it made him melt on the inside. Her comfortable presence made him want to curl in a ball and fall asleep. The fire inside him was consistently burning in a soothing warmth and he never felt so relaxed.

“I lived long enough to learned cooking like the back of my hand,” he told her.

Haeyoon raised a curious eyebrow at his statement. “What do you mean? You sounded like you already lived a hundred years.”

He let out a chortle. “I am over two hundred years old now, Haeyoonie.” He smirked, “As well as my brothers.”

The girl’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets at his revelation. “Really?!”

“Yes,” Chanyeol nodded as he deposited the sliced carrots on the container before grabbing another one. “King Zardus created us the same time he took over the throne of his father and that was a long long time ago.” He explained. “He needed someone who would help him protect the kingdom as well as his future family. Not just ordinary sorcerers but powerful ones. So, with the twelve strongest spirits guiding over Lucere, he crafted us and gave us life.”

“But before you became Guardians...are you someone else?” Haeyoon asked, tilting her head to the side.

“Yeah, but we’re pretty much worthless outcasted youths,” he told her, hands gracefully cutting the vegetables. “We had no family, no home, no food, and no nothing. We don’t even know what powers we originally had because no one bothered to educate us. We lived off by stealing from other people and we usually ended up on the castle’s dungeons and that’s when the king decided to gave us new life.” He sighed wistfully. “King Zardus became our father. He created stronger and better sorcerers out of us and gave us new purpose in life and that is to protect Lucere and the royal blood line, the Saperians.”

Haeyoon said nothing as she continued to listen to his story.

“Peace was kept and after another hundred years, King Zardus was married to the most beautiful and kindest woman in Lucere, Queen Maya. Years later, she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl and a year after that, she gave birth to a boy…” Chanyeol trailed off, his grip on the knife tightened. “And that was the time when Magos declared a war…that killed many Lucerians including our king and queen.” He gritted his teeth in regret and anger. “We had sworn to protect the royal family with our life but we failed them…” he let out a humorless chuckle. “It made me realize that we are still useless after all.”

Haeyoon’s heart twitched painfully when she saw how the boy was condemning himself. “Chanyeol…” she put a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Your prince and princess are still alive out there somewhere, aren’t they? And it’s because of you and your brothers. I’m sure the king and queen wanted you to save their children. I have a feeling that they were good persons and I bet they don’t want to see you, guys, blaming yourselves for what happened to them.”

Chanyeol looked at Haeyoon and he felt himself getting lost in her warm caramel eyes.

“Everything will be fine, okay?” she said with a reassuring smile. “You have your brothers…you have me.”

A sincere smile curved up his lips and Chanyeol knew he had found her angel.

 


	12. New Barista

THE EARLY MORNING wind was brisk, gently curling Haeyoon’s hair around her face as she walked down the path towards her aunt’s café. The passing week had been eventful, like a whirlwind that swept her with mysteries that she had once deemed impossible. There are so many thoughts running in her mind and she found herself yearning for the one place that could offer her some kind of serenity that could help her think things through.

The soft tinkle of the bell could be heard as Haeyoon entered the small cozy café. A smile made its way on her lips as the familiar pleasant aroma of coffee and pastries assaulted her senses. Early weekends like this bring not too many customers, thus the comfortable silence embracing the place. It’s been just a week but she missed the place already. Her smile grew wider and she can’t wait to grab a metal bowl and whisk batter to create some sweet treats.

“Good morning, Yoonie!” a female voice chirped and she turned to see a grinning Minah poised behind the counter.

“Good morning,” she greeted back with equal enthusiasm as she rounded the counter to enter the changing room where the lockers are also located. The first thing that caught her eye on the bright white room was a black knapsack resting on top of the small wooden table that was put up against the wall. Her brows furrowed ever so slightly as she hang her own sling bag on a chair, wondering when did Minah’s taste on bags changed. She was sure that the girl was an avid fan of anything brightly colored and having a dark and not to mention boyish bag was so not her.

“Hey, Minah,” she walked up to the girl as she put on her baby blue apron. “I never expected that I’ll saw the day where you will use a black bag,” she remarked good-naturedly.

The girl gave her a questioning look before her face lit up with realization. “Oh, please, that bag is not mine,” Minah shook her head with a wave of her hand, her nails painted with frosty red catching sunlight, making it shimmer. “It is owned by our new employee.”

Haeyoon’s eyebrow went higher on her forehead, hands pausing midway in making a bow with her apron’s laces. “Aunty hired a new one?”

Her colleague bobbed her head, “Yeah, we needed a new barista anyway.”

“What happened to Yonghwa?” she asked. It seemed like a lot of things happened in the café, too.

“His studies demanded much of his time now so he was forced to resign last Tuesday,” the black haired girl shrugged. “College entrance exam must be a pain.”

“Oh, I see,” she muttered, finishing the bow of her apron in a secured knot. “Good thing aunty found immediate replacement.”

“Yeah, and it’s a bonus that the new barista is such a total cutie,” the girl giggled, her eyes turning up into a pair of dark crescents before leaning towards her to whisper, “Speak of the devil and he shall come.”

Someone emerged from behind the coffee bar and strode across the polished floor towards the counter.

“Hey, Minah, I just wanted to ask where—,” the boy stopped in mid-sentence when Haeyoon turned to face him. His eyes widened, irises a spiral of endless glittering obsidian. He was frozen on his spot as he took in the girl’s delicate features, an odd sense of familiarity, of comfort, hitting him with a sudden wave. He felt like he had seen her before but couldn’t quite figure out where and when.

Haeyoon couldn’t help but agree with Minah. The boy was such a fine sight with his sleek dark golden hair brushed up in an elegant way. His bright eyes, flickering with an emotion she can’t place a finger on, were framed with thick perfect brows. A straight proud nose ran down the middle of his gently curved face while his cheeks, his round smooth cheeks, strangely reminded her of hot steamed buns. His lips, that were slightly parted, revealed a pair of cute slightly buck-teeth.

There was a moment of thick silence before Minah grabbed the liberty of breaking it and introducing the two to each other. “Haeyoon, this is Minseok,” she said. “Minseok, our part-time awesome baker, Haeyoon.”

“Hi,” the boy uttered the moment he got his voice back. He stretched out a hand towards her. “I’ve actually heard a lot about you from Mrs. Lee.” He smiled amiably. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

A faint blush adorned the girl’s cheeks and she reached out a hand to shake his. “I just hope it’s not about the tales of my clumsiness.”

Minseok let out a soft chortle as he let go of her hand. “Don’t worry, she also told me that you bake the best cakes in town to compensate.”

Though quite embarrassed, Haeyoon broke out into a brilliant smile. “Trust my dear aunty to exaggerate my baking skills.”

 

THE DAY WENT by peacefully with some friendly chatter here and there. Customers increased as the time dragged on and the batch of red velvet cupcakes Haeyoon baked was sold out as soon as it came out of the oven.

“Your cupcakes are a hit,” Minseok grinned at her from behind the bar as she passed by. She had just served the last piece of her creation along with a caramel macchiato. “Now I’m really curious to what they taste like.”

She paused, tray perched in her hands. “You’re lucky, I’m making another batch,” she said, grinning back at him. Minseok was easy to talk to and Haeyoon found immediate comfort in his company, like an old friend. He radiated a cheerful aura and she can’t help but be drawn to his genuine smiles.

“Awesome,” his eyes lit up, momentarily straying away from the coffee grinder but his hands were still in their careful circling motion. “I’ll look forward to that.”

She let out a soft giggle before treading her way back to the kitchen.

“Hey,” Minah’s head popped up on the other side of the window that separated the counter and kitchen. “How come none of your cute friends visited today?”

She looked up from the metal bowl, whisk in hand. An amused smile curved on her lips when she saw the slight pout on the girl’s face. “And here I thought that Minseok is your new eye-candy.”

“He is!” Minah exclaimed animatedly thought still mindful to keep it in a low volume, lest the boy in question hear them. “But you know I live by the saying ‘the more the merrier’.” 

Haeyoon chuckled at her friend’s silliness. “Perhaps they’re all busy,” she shrugged. It’s been a while since she last saw Mark and the others and she was admittedly missing them.

Before Minah could utter a reply, a customer walked up the cashier and the girl swiftly assumed her job.

Time flew fast and before they knew it, it was already five in the afternoon and time to close down. She took it upon herself to lock the place instead of her aunt because the good lady had some important meeting to attend to.

“See you next week, Haeyoonie,” Minah waved goodbye as she slung her chic yellow bag across her torso. 

“Yeah, sure, be careful on your way home,” she waved back with a pleasant smile.

“I really owe you one.” The girl shot her an apologetic smile before disappearing behind the front door. Apparently, the girl had some impromptu baby-sitting pleaded by her neighbor. She can’t possibly decline the kind lady and the pay so she had no choice but to leave early and leave Haeyoon behind to tend to her assigned cleaning chores.

The other crews, a boy and a girl, already left, too, and the only people on the almost empty café were her and Minseok.

“I’m done with the tables,” Minseok poked his head through the kitchen door when she was almost done putting away the cleaned utensils she used earlier. “I also locked and rolled down the front.”

“I’m done here, too,” she told him. The boy nodded and left her to close the lights and the door.

“Do you have someone to fetch you?” Minseok asked her when they passed each other by the lockers. “It’s getting dark outside.”

“Yes,” she removed her apron and hung it inside her locker. She picked up her bag and fished for her phone. “My brother will.”

After another once-over, checking the place for opened windows and unplugged appliances, they went out through the back door and locked it up.

“So…” Minseok trailed off, gripping the straps of his bag. “Where is your brother?”

“He texted me just now that he’ll be ten minutes late,” she said as she checked Yoongi’s message once again. “I’ll just wait for him here, you go ahead.” 

“No, no,” Minseok shook his head in a vehement refusal as if the thought of leaving the girl alone on her own is such an appalling idea. “I can’t leave you here alone. I’ll wait with you.”

“Are you sure?” Haeyoon asked in a slight frown. She hated being a burden to other people. “I’ll be fine, really. I don’t want to keep you from anything.”

“Nah, it’s no big deal,” Minseok shot her a smile that told her that he’s totally fine with waiting with her. She muttered a ‘thanks’ accompanied by a genuine smile of her own.

To be honest, she was really thankful for the boy’s company because the alley where the back side of the café was located gave her the creeps. Perhaps, it rooted from her earlier encounter with the cloaked man which happened on an alley as well. A shudder ran through her and she forced the memory to the back of her mind.

“Anyway, Minseok do you—,” her attempt on striking conversation was cut when they heard the clattering noise of trash cans that bounced off the concrete walls of the narrow passage. They whipped their heads and saw three grown-up men in business attires with their ties either hanging loosely on their neck or completely off. One look at them and anyone can tell that they are drunk out of their wits, especially with the way they staggered towards the two youths.

When one of the drunken men took notice of them, he let out a low whistle, a Cheshire smile appearing on his red face. “Oh, wow, a pretty lady!”

His other companion perked up and pinned Haeyoon with a malicious stare. “Lucky!” He slurred. “Wanna have some fun, little missy?

A shiver ran down her spine and her heartbeat doubled its pace. Haeyoon started panicking on the inside, alarm bells ringing in her head. She felt a gentle grip on her arm before she was pulled against Minseok’s side protectively. She looked up and saw how his jaw tightened and his eyes darkened.

“Just stay behind me, okay?” he whispered to her before stepping protectively in front of her.

“L-let’s just run away,” she hissed at him in a shaky voice. They would surely stand no chance against three grown-up men.

“Aww, why are you hiding little miss beautiful from us, boy?” the third man spoke as he continued to advance towards them, his two other companions in tow. “We won’t hurt you, you know. You just have to give her to us.”

“Yeah,” the other smiled wickedly at them. “You won’t get hurt if you’ll just obey us like a good boy.”

One of the men reached out to them and she was surprised when Minseok let out a powerful punch straight towards his gut. The man doubled over as he clutched his middle in pain. The two other men saw this and they charged towards Minseok at the same time. Haeyoon could only watch in horror as the boy managed to land a blow on one of them but wasn’t able to avoid the second man’s attack. Minseok slid across the pavement, his shoulder hitting the wall.

“Minseok!” she was about to ran to his aid when one of the men stood in front of her, his towering built and devious sickening grin freezing her in place, before grabbing both of her wrists. “Let me go!” she yelled at his face as she struggled and kicked hard against him but to no avail.

Her blood ran cold and her heart threatened to fall out of her chest when the man pulled her harshly against him. His face dove to nuzzle her neck and it summoned unpleasant goose-bumps on her skin, making her insides twist in fear and repulsion. His grubby hands crawled over her body, touching places that aren’t meant to be touched. She squeezed her eyes shut and let a scream tore through her throat. She was heaving and shaking so badly when she realized that no one is holding her anymore. Her knees buckled beneath her before her eyes fluttered open.

The scene that greeted made her eyes open as wide as saucers.

The three men were sprawled and unmoving on the ground while Minseok was standing several feet in front of her with eyes swimming and gleaming with so many emotions. As the boy looked at the men, red fury easily topped the list of his emotions but when they came to rest at Haeyoon, they softened in an instant.

“What happened?” she asked breathlessly more to herself than to the boy. She was shocked to see the men lying and looking lifeless on the pavement but what surprised her more was their utterly pale skin color. It was like they were frozen, literally. Their lips were purplish and their skin glistened with…a thin sheet of frost.

“I froze them to put them to sleep,” Minseok told her, taking small careful steps towards her. “But don’t worry, they’re not dead. They’ll return to normal after a few minutes.”

She continued looking at him with wide eyes and the boy must’ve have mistaken her reaction as fear because he stopped a meter away from her and spoke in a way someone would to a wounded animal. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you? Please, don’t be scared, Haeyoon. I won’t hurt you.” He gave her a gentle pleading look. “I promise, just please, trust me.”

Haeyoon can’t see a symbol on him that would tell her if he’s a Guardian or not but her instinct was telling her that he was one of them so she asked, “Are you…a Guardian?”

Minseok looked taken a back for a brief moment before he closed the distance between them and knelt in front of her. “Yes, I am. I remember everything now and I strongly believe that it was all because of you.” His brows pinched as he searched her face. “How did you know?”

“I have already met some of your brothers,” she said in a soft voice, her strength was not yet completely back and her insides still felt like jelly.

Minseok’s eyes widened as they gleamed brightly against the setting sun. There was a play of emotions in his obsidian orbs; surprise, relief, happiness and longing. “They are alive.”

Despite herself, Haeyoon couldn’t help but let out a small smile. The boy’s joyful smile was enough to send warmth into her heart, easing it to its rhythmic calm pattern. “Yes, they are.”

 

IT TOOK ONE hell of an explanation to placate the ever overprotective Yoongi. He can’t believe that his being late for just ten minutes would lead his sister to such harm. He almost got a heart attack the moment he got into the place and when Minseok told him the gist of the story, he didn’t hesitate to call a police and ambulance (the three men were still unconscious though not frozen anymore).

With the promise of meeting the next day and bringing the other Guardians as well, Haeyoon and Minseok parted ways after the cops gathered their statements.

“Are you really okay?” Yoongi asked his sister for the umpteenth time since they got home. He felt like Haeyoon was not telling him everything. “Is that really all that happened?”

The girl tried to show a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. She thought that her brother didn’t have to know every single detail of the man’s assault on her, it would only upset him and she was sure that he wouldn’t hesitate to barge into the police station and strangle the man with his own hands. Also, the fact that she met a new Guardian is not something to be disclosed to him yet. “Yes, I’m just scared…and shocked.” She couldn’t help the tremor that run through her when the man’s horrible face fleeted in her mind, rousing a queasy feeling all over again. She had never been so violated in her whole life.

The young man sighed before sitting beside her on her bed and pulling her into a comfortable warm hug. “I’m sorry for being late.”

“No,” Haeyoon shook her head against his chest, her words muffled by the fabric of his shirt. “It’s not your fault.” She snuggled closer to the protective embrace of her brother, inhaling his calming scent of fresh laundry and the lingering smell of the cologne he used that morning.

A comfortable silence settled upon them as Yoongi tenderly stroked her hair just like how her mom would everytime she was sad, making her realize how much she missed their parents.

“I miss mom and dad,” she murmured, tightening her hold on Yoongi.

“Same here,” he sighed. “You can go to rest now if you want to. I’ll just order a take away for us.”

Yoongi was about to pull away when Haeyoon stopped him. “Can you…can you stay for a bit longer?” she looked up at him with begging glassy eyes, she was trying so hard to not let her tears overflow because she knew that it will make him pry into the incident more. “Just until I fall asleep, please?” she whispered her last word, biting back a sob. She realized that she can’t bear to be alone for now. She had yet to grasp the extent of the trauma she had obtained from the previous physical assault.

Yoongi was caught off guard by the look his sister gave him. It made his heart twist in any painful way possible. He knew that there was more to what happened than she was letting on but he wasn’t planning on questioning her right now. With her current situation, all he could do was to offer comfort and the security that he wouldn’t go anywhere else until she was fine again.

With a reassuring smile, he muttered a small “Okay” before tucking Haeyoon under the covers and gently stroking her hair until she fell asleep.

After making sure that his sister was deep in her slumber, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead before walking out of the room.

“Is she okay?” he looked up and saw a very worried Jungkook fidgeting in front of Haeyoon’s room.

Yoongi brushed a hand through his hair before letting out his twentieth sigh for the day. “Honestly…I don’t know and I wish I can make her feel better.”

Jungkook’s face crumpled further and Yoongi reached out a hand to pat his head comfortingly. “She’ll be fine. Haeyoon’s a strong girl.” He managed a tight smile for the young boy’s benefit. “Come one, I’ll just order a take away for us.”

Giving her door one last longing concerned look, Jungkook gave a slight nod and followed Yoongi down the stairs. 

Jungkook knows that Haeyoon isn’t fine at all.

He can feel her anyway. 


	13. Unexpected Return

THAT SUNDAY MORNING had brought with it such a pleasant weather that made birds chirp merrily from tree branches and the dews from last night clinging on green leaves glimmer prettily.

Haeyoon’s eyes fluttered open as gentle beams of sunlight danced gracefully on her face. Yesterday’s incident was deemed to be forgotten just like one’s bad dream. Dwelling on it won’t do her any good and she decided to gather herself to fulfill a promise she made to Minseok. She smiled at the thought; surely Joonmyeon and the others would be so glad to see their brother.

It was quarter to nine in the morning when she emerged from her room, all fresh and washed up, and she went down to find Yoongi browsing through the channels for something good to watch as he sprawled across the settee.

She opened her mouth to greet her brother but it seemed like her presence on the living room’s threshold was enough to alert him and he sprung up with a mixture of worry and surprise plastered on his pale face.

“Haeyoonie,” he spoke as if he can’t believe that she really was there and standing in front of him. He had been so worried about her that he was checking on his sister every now and then to see if she was up or not. “How are you…feeling?”

The smile that made its way on her lips was enough to untie the tight painful knot in Yoongi’s heart and before the girl could even respond, he crossed the room to pull her in a hug.

“I’m fine,” she muttered, smiling against the fabric of his cotton shirt. “I’m sorry for worrying you.”

He heaved a sigh of relief before pulling away to hold her in arms length away. “You hungry?” he asked. “There are pancakes and bacons.”

Haeyoon’s eyebrows rose in amusement, giving him a playfully doubtful look. “You cooked?”

Rolling his eyes, he ruffled his sister’s hair. “It would be the lie of the year if I said I did. Jin made it.” He started pulling her towards the kitchen.

“Jin’s here?” she asked and her brows furrowed when she saw no one in the kitchen. Then upon realizing that she hasn’t seen Jungkook yet, she felt slightly worried because the kid is always an early riser. “Is Jungkook still asleep?”

Yoongi made her sit on one of the high stools as he grabbed a plate and a stack of pancakes. He placed it in front of her with a fork and a glass of orange juice from the carton sitting inside the fridge.

“The whole gang was here,” he told her as he perched himself on the seat from the other side of the pristine marble kitchen island. “They left at eight. We’re supposed to hang-out at the park and go skateboarding but since I can’t possibly leave you here alone, they took Jungkook instead.”

The silver fork stopped half-way to her mouth, the piece of pancake hovering close to her lips. “They took Jungkook?” There was a tone of disbelief in her voice. “But it’s the first time they’re meeting each other. Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

Yoongi chortled. “Well, when they came here so early in the morning, I thought that they would go berserk once they see the kid, but Taehyung must’ve given them a heads up because they were pretty much calm about everything.”

“Really?” she asked in between mouthful of pancakes. She realized how famished she was when the delightful food invaded her taste buds. “That’s a relief.”

“That kid has a way to warming people up,” Yoongi said as he watched her eat with a fond smile on his lips. “I was surprised when Jimin took an immediate liking to him.”

“Well, I wouldn’t find it much of a surprise because Kookie is such an adorable sweet kid,” she said after swallowing another piece of pancake and gulping half the glass of her juice. The twinkle on her eyes as he thought about the young boy tickled Yoongi’s interest. 

He narrowed his eyes at Haeyoon and was about to ask her a question when they heard a sudden noise from somewhere inside the house. They both held their breaths, eyes going wide as they strained their ears to listen carefully.

There was a loud thud, like something heavy falling on the wooden floor then there was the sound of drawers being hastily pulled out. Panic flooded their systems but neither of them showed it.

“What was that?” Haeyoon whispered in a shaky voice, her eyes darting pass the arced entrance of the kitchen.

“I don’t know,” Yoongi answered, voice deeper than usual. He hopped off the stool and stealthily treaded across the kitchen floor with Haeyoon close on his heels. “Stay behind me, okay?” He told her in a quiet voice as they cautiously crept towards the source of the noise.

Haeyoon swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry and scratchy. Familiar fear crawled under her skin and her heart started hammering against her chest. Someone had snuck into their house and she could only think of it being a robber. Her trembling hands unconsciously clutched themselves on the back if Yoongi’s shirt for she was so worried that the burglar might hurt them the moment he realized that he had been compromised in the middle of his act.

“Yoongi, shouldn’t we call the police now?” she hissed at her brother.

“It’s here,” he announced under his breath, loud enough for Haeyoon to hear his words. His muscles were tensed and his jaw was taut as he gritted his teeth.

Words were stuck in her throat when she realized that they halted in front if their father’s study. The noises were definitely coming in the said room because the shuffling of footsteps got louder, just like Haeyoon’s heartbeat. It hadn’t been opened in while and she wondered what the thief must have wanted in there. Aside from their family’s collection of books and some case files that their father had been keeping, there are no valuable things in there. No gadget, no appliances and definitely no jewelry nor money.

Yoongi carefully pulled out the baseball bat resting along some colorful umbrellas on a waist-high vase situated against the wall beside the door of the study. Their father had kept it there incase of emergencies and the boy found it extremely convenient and useful at their current situation.

“I’m going to open it now,” he whispered, cold clammy hand hovering above the door knob. He took a deep breath to brace himself before twisting the knob and slamming the door open.

With his bat raised in the air, he was prepared to attack the invader but everything seemed to freeze in place when they saw who the person was.

“Dad?” Haeyoon’s jaw hung open, eyes popping out of their socket, when they saw their father rummaging through a drawer, books and papers messily strewn all over the floor.

Yoongi blinked rapidly, trying to convince himself that he wasn’t dreaming. He lowered his weapon, all the while thinking how in the world their father appeared in his study without them knowing. And why did he look…so weird?

“Dad?” he muttered in bewilderment. He was sure that their father was truly in front of them and it wasn’t just his eyes playing tricks on him because Haeyoon saw him, too, but the man’s appearance sent him into a spiral of confusion. His brain stuttered and words are failing him. “W-what’s…happening?”

Their father looked like he was projected into the room, like a hologram. They can see through his body as if he was a ghost or something. The way his outline glowed with bright white light and flickered like a dying light bulb summoned goose-bumps into their skin and they stood there with eyes wide in disbelief. It was akin to watching a person through a television with very, very poor reception.

“Yoongi, Haeyoon,” Jaeyoon said in a hushed tone, as he, too, halted in his adamant search. His eyes reflected longing, relief and a bit of sadness as he stared at them. After a few seconds of unspoken-question filled silence, their father resumed his frantic searching.

“What’s happening, dad?” Haeyoon echoed her brother’s question, trying hard to keep the panic out of her voice, as she walked towards the man. “And where’s mom?”

“I can’t explain, right now,” the man replied in a rush, hands working hard to dig onto some drawer full of old files and other objects. “I don’t have much time left.”

Like Haeyoon, Yoongi’s brow furrowed. “What’re you talking about? What’s happening?” he demanded. “How’d you got in here, dad?”

“I used my magic,” he answered amidst he’s frantic searching around the room. “Or spirit—in our real world.”

The siblings exchanged shocked glances. “Magic?” they blurted in unison as they shot their father a disbelieving look.

Jaeyoon let out a humorless chuckle. “I would’ve loved to explain things to you but I don’t have much time left.” He chanced a mysterious glance at them. “But to make the story short, we are sorcerers.”

To say that they were astonished was an understatement. They wanted to ask their father so many questions but they don’t know where to start.

“How…?” was all Yoongi can manage, dumbly trailing off for he don’t know the right question to ask.

Haeyoon, on the other hand, was reeling with what their father had unceremoniously dropped on them like hot potato. She was stunned into silence as what Joonmyeon, Baekhyun and Kyungsoo said to her about her not being a human but a sorcerer like them surfaced in her mind.

‘They were right,’ she thought, taking deep ragged breaths to control her emotions. ‘I’m no ordinary human.’

“Yoongi,” Jaeyoon’s deep voice caught both of the siblings’ attention. He turned away from the bookshelves and towards the boy while the flickering of his image worsened like he would disappear anytime soon. “Come here, my son,” he motioned towards Yoongi as he leaned against the mahogany table for support. Haeyoon noticed how his breathing became labored. “My projection can’t last much longer.”

“Dad,” Yoongi trailed off, his tone confused and almost pleading. “Please, just tell us what’s happening.”

Their father smiled ruefully before reaching out a hand and pressing it flat on Yoongi’s forehead. “I am now removing the seal that we’ve put on you since you were young.” He took a deep trembling breath. “I am returning what is yours for I am sure that you’ll be needing it from this point onwards.”

Blinding white beams emerged from Jaeyoon’s palm as he closed his eyes. Brightness exploded throughout the room as everything went completely still for a few seconds, before it retracted back quickly and concentrated on Yoongi’s forehead.

“What the…” the boy breathed, feeling the inexplicable warmth spread from his forehead towards every fiber of his being. His body tingled as he inhaled and exhaled through his mouth. The pleasant burning sensation settled on the pit of his stomach and he never felt so strong before. Lifting a hand in front of his face, he can feel the strange surge energy that seemed to flow on his very veins.

“You are now officially a _Gieldan,_ my son,” Jaeyoon spoke, making his son look up at him.

Before Yoongi could question him, the man walked towards Haeyoon and held out a shiny black wooden box about the size of two palms. He was flickering more erratically now.

“What’s this, dad?” Haeyoon was still quite in a daze and she was having a hard time comprehending all the things that was happening right before her.

“It will answer all your questions,” he rasped and it was painfully obvious that he was barely holding on. “Find Kim Myungsoo and show him the thing inside that box. He’ll help you.”

“Dad, I—I don’t understand anything!” she started panicking when she saw how the edges of his image started disappearing. “Where’s mom? Where are you going?”

“Find him and the Guardians,” he told her, desperation lacing his tone. “You are the only one who can save us all.”

Her eyes shook in dread, she can’t understand anything. “Why? Tell me what’s happening, dad, please!”

“Everything will be revealed on the day of your birth and what’s rightfully yours will be returned,” he told her cryptically before turning to her brother. Jaeyoon’s image was close to completely vanishing. “Yoongi, I need you to protect her.”

“Dad, you’re disappearing,” Yoongi pointed out. He was sporting the same horrified look as his sister.

“I can’t hold out much longer, I’ve used too much of my power,” he was heaving now. “This is the least I can do to help you accomplish your mission.”

“Mission?” Haeyoon was flustered, hands gripping tight on the box.

“Remember to never trust the Oraculum,” the man looked straight into Haeyoon’s eyes before uttering the last words that confused her the most. “ _Your Highness._ ”

Yoongi and Haeyoon were left dumbstruck when their father completely vanished right before their very eyes.

The room was plunge into a deafening silence as the siblings stared at the spot where their father had disappeared.

“What in the world just happened?” Yoongi spoke, running a frustrated hand down his face. His mind was swirling in utter bafflement, refusing to accept his father’s words. He knew how crazy everything sounded but he also knew that no matter how insane it was—it was also the truth. The change he felt within him, the sheer power that seemed to fill him up, was proof enough that what their father had told them was anything but a lie.

“They are right,” Haeyoon blurted more to herself than to her companion. Saying the words out loud seemed to solidify the fact that she was indeed no ordinary human just like what the Guardians had predicted. There are no reasons for her to deny the truth now that their father, himself, told them what they truly are.

Her head was throbbing with so many unanswered questions but one thing was clear to her now.

She’s a sorcerer.

“What do you mean ‘They are right’?” Yoongi’s eyebrows were pinched together.

The girl took a deep breath before facing her brother. “The Guardians, they are right all along.”

“The…Guardians?” Yoongi looked at his sister with narrowed eyes that soon morphed into wide realization-struck eyes. “You mean…”

“Yes, I met them, Yoongi,” she told him in a firm voice. “And I think it’s time you meet them, too.”

 

RESTLESSNESS WAS ALL Yoongi could feel the moment they stepped inside their aunt’s café and Haeyoon could tell it by the constant way he’s running his hand through his brown locks.

“Yoongi, relax,” she told him with an amused smile, gripping his hand resting on top of the table to offer some comfort.

“Relax?” Yoongi faced her with anxious expression. “You’re telling me to relax when I’m going to meet those Guardians that we read from the book and are said to be heck of powerful sorcerers?”

His panic looked almost comical and it made Haeyoon giggle. “Trust me, they’re far from what you’re imagining,” she leaned back from her chair as her eyes darted towards the coffee bar being manned by one of the old crews. Apparently, Sunday was a day off for Minseok so they had to wait for him, too, as well as the other Guardians. “I bet you’ll be surprised when you met them, especially, that one particular person.” She grinned meaningfully at him, thinking about his expression once he learned that his friend, Joonmyeon, was a Guardian, himself.

The boy shot her a curious look but before he could even ask her, she spoke again.

“Besides, don’t you have a magic, too?” she said though they are still both having a hard time adjusting with the fact that they are indeed sorcerers. “No need to get nervous at all.”

Yoongi bit his lip, seemingly deep in thoughts. “Yeah, he called me a Gieldan. I wonder what does that mean.” He took a deep breath. “And what exactly I can do with my magic or power or spirit or whatever the hell this is.”

She shrugged. “Well, the Guardians might know the answer.”

“What about you?” Yoongi said.

“What about me?” she asked with raised brow.

“You should have magic, too right?” he stared at her with an unsure expression. “I mean, dad did tell us that we are…you know, sorcerers.”

Haeyoon was silent for a while. “I…don’t know. Unlike you, all dad gave me was a box.” Upon the mention of the said object, her mind drifted to where she left it on the top of her vanity. She wasn’t able to open it yet and she made a mental note to do it once they got home. “Anyway, Yoongi, have you heard his last words right before he vanished?”

Her brother gave her a clueless glance. “I don’t think so. What about it?”

She blinked and shook her head daintily. “No, it’s nothing. I must’ve heard it wrong.”

‘Yeah, I must’ve heard it wrong,’ she repeated the words in her mind to try and convince herself. ‘After all, why would dad call me... _Your Highness_?’ 

A few minutes later, Minseok came through the door and it was quite a surprise that he arrived early considering the short notice for a meet-up that she sent them through a text message.

“Haeyoon,” the boy greeted her with a pleasant smile before his eyes drifted towards Yoongi.

“Hey,” she greeted him back with a sweet smile of her own. “Take a sit first. “

When Minseok settled himself on the chair across from her with his back facing the front door, she spoke again. “This is my brother, Yoongi,” she gestured at the boy sitting beside her. “Yoongi, this is Minseok, a Guardian.”

The two boys looked at each other for a moment, awkward silence settling upon them, before Yoongi spoke.

“This is…weird don’t you think,” he remarked. “But, hey, nice to finally meet a Guardian like you”

Haeyoon can’t help but chuckle at the bizarreness of it all. “Yeah, this is weird.”

Minseok broke out into an amused smile, “Nice to meet you, too.”

“Here’s your order,” Minah’s high-pitched voice floated through the air as she placed an Americano and a frappe on their table. She winked playfully at Yoongi while she sent a cheeky smile on Haeyoon’s way before turning to Minseok. “Hey, Minseokie, wanna order anything?”

“Uh, yeah, just mocha coffee,” he smiled amiably towards the cheerful girl.

“Coming right up,” she chirped before retreating back to the counter to place the order.

“I can’t believe that after so many years, I’m going to see them again,” Minseok said as he gazed at Haeyoon with a grateful smile, eyes turning up into a pair of dark crescents. “And it’s all because of you. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she smiled warmly back at him. “Though I’m not entirely sure of how am I doing that, still I’m glad to be of help to you and your brothers.”

A confused frown marred Yoongi’s handsome face as he observed the little exchange between Minseok and his sister. “Okay…I feel left out, mind explaining, dear sister?”

Haeyoon chuckled before she started explaining, though not with all the gory details such as the time when she was almost killed by a so-called Tainted one and the other incidents that almost severely harmed her. She was sure that it’ll only elicit a negative reaction from Yoongi so she just settled on telling him how they were sealed and how she happened to lift it for them unintentionally, thus, bringing back their memories as well as their abilities to use their spirits.

“I hope you’re not mad that I kept these things from you,” she said sheepishly.

“I’ll let it slide for now but you have to promise me that there’ll be no more secrets again, alright?” Yoongi told her in a stern voice.

“Yes,” she nodded. “I promise.”

He ruffled her hair and said, “But you know, maybe your power had something to do with all of that.”

“What do you mean?” Minseok can’t help but butt in out of curiosity. “What power?”

Haeyoon parted her lips to answer him but was interrupted by the soft tinkling of the bell hanging on the door. It was immediately followed by an assortment of voices.

“They’re here,” she announced to her two companions the moment she saw Jongin and Chanyeol’s lithe figure entering the door, the other boys following after them.

Haeyoon heaved a heavy sigh. She got a lot of explaining to do.


	14. Could It Be?

“IT’S ALL ABOUT balance, Jungkook,” Jimin stated, adjusting his snapback that he had worn backwards over his jet-black hair before hopping onto his own skateboard.

The boy hesitantly stepped a foot over the board Hoseok lent him, following Jimin’s advice and remembering Namjoon’s words when he taught him earlier how to ride a skateboard. “Like this?” he asked meekly while he peered at the older boy through the fringe spilling over his smooth forehead.

“Yeah, like that,” Jimin beamed at him. “Watch me,” he pushed himself forward with the use of his other leg before balancing both of his feet on top of his skateboard.

“Just take it slow, ‘Kook,” Namjoon’s deep bass voice reminded the boy as he sailed past Jungkook on his own skateboard.

Jungkook tried propelling himself with his foot, the sole of his red sneaker protesting against the rough ground, but he kept on losing his balance on his first few tries.

“Lift you arms on your sides—like this,” Seokjin’s skateboard skidded to a stop beside the struggling boy and demonstrated the way he should extend his arms on either side of him to keep his balance.

Jungkook immediately caught on and took his example. After a few more tries, the boy was able to skate smoothly across the pavement. He had a triumphant handsome grin on his face, wind whipping his reddish-black hair and plastering his green-white plaid shirt against his body. 

Their group had gathered the attention of some teenagers, especially girls, hanging out on the skateboarding place which was originally an abandoned parking lot behind an equally abandoned condominium. It hadn’t been used for almost three years and some group of skateboard enthusiast dared to build ramps and a variety of platforms which one can use to execute moves or simply enjoy skateboarding. The place served as a hang-out for youngsters who had a knack for going all dare-devil while riding a board and gliding against rough pavement.

“Wow,” the tiny wheels of Jimin’s skateboard halted as he stared in awe after Jungkook. “You’re right, Tae, that kid is a fast learner.”

Teahyung who had been standing off to the sides and observing his friends all this while nodded, his skateboard propped against the side of his leg. “Haeyoon told me that he’s quite a genius.”

“Speaking of Haeyoonie,” Jimin mused as he pressed the tip of his worn-out high-top on the edge of his board to raise the other side up towards his waiting hand before tucking it under his arm. “Do you think she’s fine now?”

Taehyung sighed. It was the reason why he was so out of it since they arrived at their usual hang-out spot. He was looking forward on spending the day with his bestfriend but then Yoongi told them what happened the previous day. “I don’t know but I’m hoping for the best.”

“I really wanna see her…” Jimin murmured under his breath, his soft tone laced with obvious longing, but it didn’t slip Taehyung’s keen sense of hearing.

He was about to question Jimin because he had a sudden inkling that there was an underlying meaning on the boy’s words and deep sighs but their attentions were diverted when they heard a loud crash quickly followed by a panicked scream.

“Damn! Jungkook!”

 

“THIS IS QUITE a surprise, Haeyoonie,” Chanyeol grinned from ear to ear, undeniably happy with the turn of events. 

They had all settled on the comfortable couches and chairs of the shop, around two adjoined tables, while sipping their drinks. Luckily, that day was a not-so-busy day for the café and only a few costumers dotted the place, giving their group more privacy and space, considering their quite large number of members.

The Guardians didn’t expect to see Xiumin—Minseok’s real name—the moment they step inside the coffee shop. It took them so many years to find their other lost brothers and seeing them now almost felt surreal.

“Yeah,” Tao nodded in agreement with his brother. The glimmer in his eyes showed how glad he was, too. “Now, we just had to find the other three and we’re all set.”

“So, I suppose Yoongi already knows about us,” Joonmyeon piped up, bringing up another topic as he glanced at the said boy who was, in return, giving him a look of disbelief. He, as well as his brothers, was rather confused and surprised when they first saw Yoongi sitting beside Haeyoon. But after the girl gave them a look that said ‘I’ll explain later’, they kept mum about it until now.

“Yes and I can’t believe that you’re a Guardian—a sorcerer—all this time,” Yoongi said, shaking his head slowly from side to side which made Joonmyeon smirk. 

“Well, in my defense, I didn’t know it myself until recently,” he explained as he snuck a meaningful gaze at Haeyoon.

“I take it that there was another reason why you gathered us here aside from letting us know that you had found our brother, Xiumin,” Kris butted in, his voice deep and smooth as he subtly prompted an explanation from her. His instinct was telling him that there was more to this meeting than Haeyoon was letting on.

The girl licked her drying lips before exchanging glances with her brother.

“Is there something wrong, Haeyoon?” Kyungsoo asked from beside her, a worried looked plastered on his face as he took in her troubled expression.

“Well, you are right, guys,” she stated as she roamed her eyes around her companions, observing their reactions. Most of them looked rather clueless as to what she was talking about but Joonmyeon, Kyungsoo and Baekhyun had their eyes widely opened, their faces lit up with realization.

“You mean….” Baekhyun trailed off.

“But how?” Joonmyeon leaned closer towards the table as he gave her an intent look.

“Err, we’re kinda lost here,” Jongin spoke, perfect brows raised in a confused manner. “Mind explaining?”

Haeyoon took a deep breath before saying, “I—we are sorcerers.”

Kris sputtered around his drink. “Excuse me? Did I hear you right?”

She nodded but Yoongi was the one who explained this time. “Yes, we are sorcerers—though I’m still having a hard time digesting that fact. Our dad told us when he, uh, sort of appeared in our house out of nowhere, you know, kinda like a ghost.”

“You see, sunshine, we’re right all along, you’re not an ordinary human,” Baekhyun chimed in, smiling cheekily at Haeyoon as if saying ‘I told you so’.

“He mentioned that it was a projection or something,” Haeyoon supplied, brushing off Baekhyun’s remark with a playful roll of her eyes.

“If your father used projection to contact you, he must be in some far away place,” Kyungsoo said thoughtfully.

The girl frowned. “We don’t know because he didn’t have the chance to explain everything to us saying that he’s running out of time.”

“To be able to use a projection…your father must be a powerful sorcerer,” Luhan uttered solemnly, “A first class one because only those kinds of sorcerer can perform something like that.”

Haeyoon turned at him with creased brows. “He was like there though not entirely physically because he was like a hologram though he can touch things.”

“Normally a sorcerer using projection can’t touch things but with enough power and experience, it is possible but totally draining,” he told her.

“Your father must be a powerful sorcerer then,” Minseok commented. “Perhaps, Luhan was right, he might be a Tertius.”

“A what?” Haeyoon and Yoongi asked in unison.

“Tertius, a top level Lucerian—a first class,” Joonmyeon caught their attention when he started explaining. “In Lucere, sorcerers are divided into three kinds, kinda like a hierarchy. Fyrst are the bottom level Lucerians, they have limited powers—usually sorcery that has something to do with trivial chores—and the servants fall onto this category.

The middle levels are called Sequi. They can use more complex sorcery and the merchants and the likes belong to this category. 

Then the Tertius are the first class Lucerians. This level is composed of powerful sorcerers like the scholars and some influential clans. The members of the council—the King’s advisers—usually come from this level; they can be member of the Oraculum if they passed the qualifications.”

When Joonmyeon mentioned the word ‘Oraculum’, Haeyoon’s memory was piqued. She remembered her father mentioning the same word in a negative context. She was about to ask a question when her brother beat her to it.

“So, you’re basically saying that my father—that we—are actually first class sorcerers?” Yoongi asked and he seemed to be getting used to the idea of them not being humans but sorcerers instead.

Joonmyeon shrugged. “Yeah.”

“Then what is a Gieldan?” Yoongi cocked his head. “My father told me that I’m officially a Gieldan after he did something with my forehead, right Haeyoonie?”

She nodded when her brother turned to her. “Dad removed a…seal that he said he put on him.”

The Guardians exchanged glances.

“As far as I know, only members of the Oraculum are given the right to put on a seal on someone,” Chanyeol muttered and turning to Minseok, he said, “Isn’t that right, Xiumin?”

The latter ran his index finger over his lips as he was deep in thought. “Yes, that’s right,” he answered, looking rather distracted.

“Joonmyeon?” Yoongi gazed expectantly at the boy when his question remained unanswered.

“Gieldan is a clan of sorcerers who specializes in yielding powerful weapons and armors with the use of their spirits,” Joonmyeon told him.

“There are only a few of them left the last time we checked—and that was two decades ago,” Kris added, sipping his espresso.

“But why?” Yoongi inquired with a frown.

“Most of them died in a war,” Joonmyeon replied.

“Wait,” Tao butted in their conversation. “We know one Gieldan, right?”

“Maybe you know who our dad is,” Haeyoon perked up. “He did tell us to find you, guys, and a person named Kim Myungsoo.”

Jongin’s eyes glinted mysteriously as he glanced at the siblings. “Your father told you to search for us and Kim Myungsoo, one of the members of the Oraculum who escaped with us—together with the Prince and Princess.”

The gears in the Guardians’ heads started churning as they all turned their focus on Haeyoon and Yoongi.

_Could it be..._

Minseok snapped out of his stupor, eyes glimmering with a new resolve. “Haeyoon, may I see a picture of your parents?”

The girl blinked at his sudden request but complied, nonetheless. “Sure.” She was about to fish her phone out of her jean pocket when she felt a sudden searing pain on the side of her skull, like she was whacked with a blunt object. Haeyoon let out a short agonized scream, clutching the side of her head as the burning ache and severe dizziness forced her eyes shut. Her palm came in contact with something warm and wet. She cracked one eye open amidst the intense throbbing of her head and she saw rich crimson liquid painting her fingers.

Her own blood was the last thing she saw while she could hear her brother’s hysterical screaming on the background along with some other voices before she was plunged into pitch-black darkness.

 

“I CAN’T BELIEVE we are doing this again,” Bambam hissed at Yugyeom who had a newspaper held up in front of his face. “Are you really sure about this?”

They were in a bubble tea shop and were sitting on a table tucked away on a quite secluded area of the shop. Yugyeom’s eyes were never straying away from the guy they had been following since yesterday. It was just three days ago when he was transferred to their school and was placed on the same section as them.

“You want to know the truth?” Yugyeom asked under his breath as he watched the boy sip his bubble tea rather leisurely. “No. But I have this strange feeling about that guy.”

“And that’s why we’re stalking him since the day he transferred?” Bambam whispered in an exasperated tone. He glanced at the new transfer’s direction and noted how his dark coffee colored hair stood in stark contrast against his pale skin. “If you’re so adamant in knowing the guy, why don’t we ask JB and the others for help?”

Yugyeom shook his head behind the paper. “Not until we prove that—,”

“What?” Bambam cut him off impatiently. “That he’s a Tainted One?” he gave his friend a disapproving look. “Come on, Yugyeom, I’m sure he’s not and we’re just wasting our time following his every move.”

“Fuck, he’s leaving!” the boy gritted his teeth before grabbing his companion to leave the place as well.

“He’s lost it,” Bambam muttered to himself as he tugged the brim of his cap lower to hide his face.

“He might be a sorcerer for all we know!” the tall boy exclaimed, trying to dodge people milling around the busy street. They were in the market place now and it was a rather crowded place.

“And so?” Bambam shrugged. “Maybe he’s just like us, you know, trying to live life with the humans and away from the chaotic Lucere.”

“Something is telling me he’s more than that,” Yugyeom murmured and it was too soft for his friend to hear.

“What?”

Yugyeom’s eyes grew alarmed when he can’t see their target anymore. “Darn, we lost him!”

“I’m starting to think that he deliberately walked through this place to get us off his back,” the other boy said. “Maybe he knew that we are following him.”

“But—,” Yugyeom stopped mid-speech when he caught sight of a mop of dark brown hair. The new transfer’s tall height gave him away, making him standout among the crowd. He smirked as he grabbed Bambam by the arm to steer him to an alley. “I saw him.”

The duo followed the boy when he entered into a store.

“Wait,” Bambam scrunched up his nose when he realized what kind of shop they had entered. “Isn’t this a…lingerie boutique?”

“Huh?” Yugyeom shot his friend a clueless look until one of the female clerks walked up to them with a teasing smile hidden behind her I’m-all-business demeanor.

“May I help you…sirs?” she batted her eyelashes at the two handsome boys. “A gift for your girlfriends or…” she trailed off with an underlying meaning to her words, making the two boys blush ten-shades of red.

“N-n-no!” Bambam stuttered, hands flailing in front of him in vehement denial. “W-we picked the wrong store, s-sorry!”

Yugyeom was too embarrassed to even say anything.

“Come on!” Bambam hissed at his friend before bowing to the lady and dragging themselves out of the shop.

“That bastard!” Yugyeom stomped his feet angrily after running a certain distance. “He tricked us!”

“I told you!” the other boy panted, hands leaning on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. “He knew it!”

Running a hand through his head, Yugyeom looked around, trying to get a glimpse of their target. His eyes scanned the crowd and he wasn’t disappointed when he saw the boy just as he was about to turn on another street.

“There!” he exclaimed before shooting through the mass of bodies. Bambam groaned at his persistent friend before running after him.

“Are you going crazy?!” the black haired boy shouted at his blonde companion as they tore through the streets. “Why are we even following him?”

“Why would he even run away from us in the first place if he’s not doing anything wrong?” Yugyeom shot back.

“If I’m on his place I’ll freak out once I know that there are people stalking me!” Bambam retorted. He was getting frustrated with the way his friend was acting. “I’ll probably run away, too!”

They continued running for several minuets and it’s too late when they realized that they are not in the market place anymore. There are no more people in sight and they ended up in a deserted open area surrounded by the back part of four tall buildings.

“Where are we?” Bambam rasped out once they stopped running. He looked around them and he felt the sudden change in the wind.

“You…” Yugyeom trailed off, his breath coming out in staccato as he eyed the back of the tall boy.

“Why are you following me?” the new transfer asked without facing them.

Silence fell upon them when no one answered. The wind started swirling around the place, blowing and lifting the dirt off the pavement. The stack of old newspapers placed beside the back door of one of the buildings was knocked off, making the tattered weightless pages flutter above the ground.

“Who are you?” the blonde demanded, voice guarded and hard.

“Who are _you_?” the tall brunette fired the same inquiry back at him, his tone carrying a hint of hostility with it.

The wind around them kept on building as the temperature dropped a few degrees lower. The whips of air began to get aggressive, whisking their hair and clothes in every direction.

“Yugyeom,” Bambam had a grim expression on his face as he took a step closer towards his friend. “I think you’re right.”

The atmosphere was getting more and more tensed as the seconds tick by. Both parties had no intention of letting their guard down, both ready to snap, ready to pounce whenever needed.

“Why are you here?” Yugyeom said through gritted teeth, eyes squinting through the harsh wind lashing all over the place.

“I believe it’s none of your business,” the boy spat back before slowly turning around to pin the duo with a pair of dark brown eyes.

“It would be if you are the one killing all those innocent humans,” he said in an equally bleak voice.

Through the dust-filled air fiercely whirling around them, Bambam’s eyes zeroed in on the new transfer and that’s when he noticed a glowing symbol on his sternum that was revealed through the opened buttons of his shirt. The symbol looked familiar and his eyes widened when he realized what it was. He saw it on one of the books that JB forced them to read when they were still in Lucere.

He was one of  _them._

“He’s a Guardian, Yugyeom.”


End file.
